Biesinger 1

Jacob Biesinger
Ms. Noyce
English 9
11/2/15
Rite of Passage in Whirligig
In many books and stories the writers have their characters
experience a rite of passage. A rite of passage is a process characters
go through in which it changes said character. The first step of a stage
in a rite of passage is separation in which a character is severed from
everyday life and the next step is the transformation stage, which is
where the character goes through certain experiences that change the
characters point of view and the third stage is when the character
returns to everyday life and changes how this character did things
before. There is a rite of passage in the book Whirligig, by Paul
Fleischman. Throughout the book Brent experiences a rite of passage.
Brent started out immature and throughout the book it was showing
that Brent was maturing in many ways. At the start of the book Brent
would cares o much about his social status that he got embarrassed
and after that he tried to kill himself and he wouldnt tell his parents or
anyone that he tried to kill himself but throughout the book he stopped
stressing about what people thought of him and started opening up to
people about his problems. I think Paul Fleischman is trying to tell us
through the book that everyone is subject to change.
In the book Whirligig Brent goes through a rite of passage which
changes his personality for the better. Brents actions in the first
chapter truly represent that he is immature. Brent said If Chaz said

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that easy listening music was hip, than it was. Losing his cool here
would be suicide. (pg.11), this means that Brent is really insecure and
he has to be with the crowd or he considers it suicide, then he lost his
cool and he tried to commit suicide. Brent also is not good at opening
up to other people about his problems. He found the fact that hed
tried to kill himself impossible to share with another soul ( pg. 36).
This quote shows that Brent hides his secrets and lies because he
didnt mention that he tried to kill himself at the court hearing.
Throughout Whirligig, Brent started to shows signs of maturing.
While Brent was on his journey he started to lose some of his bad
traits. He felt like a bee returning to a hive greeted and accepted by
all.(pg.131). At the beginning of Whirligig Brent felt like an outcast
and now he stating that he feels like he fits in and hes loved by all.
When Brent was talking to the painter he showed that he was starting
to mature. Brent said to a painter he was talking to I was actually
trying to kill myself. I killed her instead, by accident.(pg.128). At the
beginning of the book Brent said that it would be impossible to tell
someone that he tried to commit suicide but he told the painter and I
think that means Brents really growing.
Whirligig showed that Brent was immature at the beginning and
had bad traits that defined him at the beginning of the book, and how
we was maturing and losing those bad traits throughout the book. In
Whirligig the author was probably trying to tell the readers that
everyone is subject to change no matter what terrible actions they

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have committed. Mrs. Zamora said This is my only request. That you
put four whirligigs, of a girl that looks like Lea. Put her name on them.
Than set them up in Washington, Californian Florida, and Main-the
corners of the United States. Let people all over the country receive joy
from her even though shes gone. (pg.40). Maybe Mrs. Zamora didnt
want to punish Brent but have him travel the country to loosen up and
think about his actions so he can change by meeting new people and
start making better decisions. Brent changed a lot through the journey
Mrs. Zamora sent him on which means if Mrs. Zamora sent him for the
reason to have a chance to change by the ways he changed she
succeeded.
Brent went through a rite of passage that changed him many
ways and matured him over his adventure. At the start of the book
Brent was really immature and insecure but by the end of the book
Brent didnt seem so insecure anymore and was able to stop worrying
about what his peers think of him. Through this rite of passage the
author was probably conveying that everyone can change no matter
the circumstances.