Coming of Age Theme Analysis

In Remembering Babylon, Gemmy’s presence in the settlement and the tension it creates forces several characters—including Lachlan, Jock, and George Abbot—to reexamine what they believe about themselves and the world. For Jock and Lachlan in particular, the realization that the world is less trustworthy than they once imagined and that they are less significant than they might wish is a crucial force in their coming of age, as they step from immaturity to maturity.

Several characters in the novel struggle to consider anything beyond themselves, which leads to misplaced priorities in their lives and demonstrates the manner in which such self-centered delusions are the mark of childish immaturity. For example, as a young boy Lachlan believes that he is destined for greatness, envisioning himself as a heroic defender of the McIvor family and later as a great explorer, charting the Australian wilderness and having monuments built in his honor. Although these fantasies seem harmless in themselves, such belief in his own greatness leads Lachlan to mistreat the people around him. For instance, he expects Janet to always yield to his wishes, and he does not want to help with menial chores since they seem beneath him. Lachlan’s selfishness demonstrates the negative impact such delusions of grandeur can have on other people. Even Jock has misplaced priorities. Although Jock does not fantasize like Lachlan, he does place an inordinate amount of value on being respected by the other settlers, in the “belief that to be thought well of by such fellows was the first thing in the world.” Jock’s own misplaced priorities, which he will eventually have to reckon with, suggest that such childish immaturity—and the need to grow up and come of age—can also be found in adults.

However, as the characters begin to mature, they learn that the world does not revolve around them, suggesting that such a loss of innocence is simply a part of coming of age. As Lachlan grows older and the conflicts around Gemmy play out, Lachlan slowly and painfully realizes that he is not the metaphorical center of the universe. He is hurt not only by the fact that Janet, and not himself, was present when Gemmy was abducted—and thus rose to a new level of maturity and responsibility in her parents’ eyes—but by his sense of his own limitations. When Ellen tells him about Gemmy’s abduction a week after it happened, Lachlan feels the “power drain from him and the stab of fear; not at what he might have to face […] but at what he might have to admit of the way the world was, and how his failure to see it was a weakness in him.” Lachlan’s realization that the world is vicious and does not share his notions of his own power frightens him, though it also marks a critical step in his growth. After this point, he sets aside his fantasies and begins to think of others while realizing that he is not powerful enough to fix everything. Jock, too, must let go of his preoccupation with being admired by his friends. After fellow settlers attack Gemmy in the middle of the night, Jock realizes that the people whom he had spent all of his energy trying to impress are at times both wicked and cowardly, meaning that being respected by them holds little value. Although Jock keeps up those relationships on the surface, “something had been destroyed in him that could not be put right. […] The days of unselfconscious trust in his standing among them […] were gone.” Jock’s loss of innocence and loss of blind trust in his friends demonstrate that even a grown person may still need to come of age and metaphorically grow up from their childish behavior.

Furthermore, the novel suggests that the painful loss of innocence and acceptance of limitations inherent to coming of age ultimately help people develop stronger, more enduring characters. For instance, Lachlan’s acceptance of his own limitations as a youth later allows him to be a good leader and meet his own failures with dignity. As an adult, Lachlan becomes a public figure and eventually a Minister in the Australian government. However, when he is caught in a public scandal (by aiding a German citizen amid public animosity against Germans during World War I) and faces calls for his resignation, Lachlan accepts the consequences of his actions with maturity and accepts his fate with dignity. The grace with which Lachlan handles this personal failure demonstrates that the painful loss of innocence he experienced as a youth has developed a strong character within himself. Though he appears only briefly, Sir George, the regional Governor who holds office during Lachlan’s youth, forms a marked contrast to Lachlan. Although Sir George holds public office, he is a dreamer like young Lachlan once was, indulging in such childish fantasies for so long that he never actually accomplishes anything. Sir George imagines that his own greatness lies in merely dreaming up accomplishments; he “exudes an air of magnificent unreality.” Because Sir George does not truly do anything, he can sense that his career as a politician is languishing, though “not, he believes, through any fault of his own but through neglect, not to say malice, [of his supporters].” Sir George is thus depicted as a worthless fool who never has to experience the pain of growing up. Through the contrast between Sir George and Lachlan, the novel highlights the idea that in order to be a productive and helpful member of society, one must set aside self-important delusions and instead come of age by confronting the realities of the world and of oneself.