Dysfunction's Role in a Rite of Passage

In class yesterday we noted that many of the Coming of Age stories we have read and watched are centered around familial conflict and dysfunction. Is this necessary for a coming of age? What does a coming of age look like when there is no dysfunction in the family? What other factors contribute to a coming of age?

"What do you mean, anime doesn't count?!"

Considering the number of genres we've looked at for stories of rites of passage, we have been staying fairly consistent in our conversations in that we identify the rite and attach it to ourselves. This isn't meant as a blanket statement, but I am wondering if the presentation of the story affects how you view the 'crossing over' theme of the story. For example, I find that the Oresteia did a better job of portraying a rite of passage than some of the short stories because it made Orestes's actions more cinematic or visible to me. Please consider whether the medium of a story affects whether or not it affects how the idea of a rite of passage is portrayed, or whether or not it is entirely dependent on the plot.

The End?

My immediate family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) all live in the Albuquerque area. We are a tight knit family. Last Friday was my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. A couple weeks earlier we had a big celebration with all of our extended family coming into town for the weekend. My grandparents are like the center or rock of our family. When I think of them I think of a very high level of maturity. Marriage is a rite of passage in itself and 50 years together is a really long time together and something to be proud of. Of course there must have been ups and downs, but when I see them I see two people who are very wise and mature. They are also as happy as can be. So I guess my question to you is How does a lifetime of different rites of passage affect a person? Or in other words Do we ever really reach a point in time where we can classify ourselves as completely mature? Do we stop maturing at a certain age?

Clarifying "Rite of Passage"

So far we have touched upon both the coming of age through ceremony, as well as it being a natural process that comes with a loss of innocence as we grow. The short stories we read seemed to have some interesting parallels in a couple of stories where the characters were preparing for a ceremony while going through their own, more personal Rite of passage at the same time (Sam and his Bar Mitzvah; Yvette and her First Communion), but there was a noticeable lack of emphasis on the importance such events held in the characters' lives. The stories seemed to be brought together through a common theme: innocence.

So, my question is: what do you believe the "true" Rite of Passage is? Is it something that you are trained for like a Confirmation or Bar Mitzvah, where you are raised learning about the significance of the event and what kind of person you will be after it? Or is it something more "natural"? Do you think life is just one big Rite of Passage, but there are defining moments that shape who you are?

Just write what you think, and if you are leaning towards the "natural" process, maybe explain the significance ceremonies have in our lives.

Oresteia Vs. Twelfth Night

Between Oresteia and Twelfth Night, compare and contrast the overall Rite of Passages. What are some similarities? What are major differences? And based on those works, what is each author's opinion of what a Rite of Passage is and what influences it?

Odd or Extreme Rites of Passage

I came across a video on youtube that showed a group of young men from the amazonian tribe, the Satere-Mawes, going through their rite of passage. You can find out more about it here:
http://www.otithelis.com/initiation/bullet.php
It consists of the young men putting both hands into a sort of glove, loaded with "bullet ants," whose stings cause intense pain (supposedly the worst sting in the world) that can last for more than 24 hours. This is definitely an extreme rite of passage. Certainly such extreme rites of passage don't occur in the more "civilized" cultures. Or... Maybe they do. If you've heard of something crazy people have done to be an adult in more urban areas, I want to find out more about it. Urban legends or not (the more obscure and personal the better actually) if any of you have heard of something similar to the bullet glove, share the story! Actually, even it's just something funny, post it anyway.