Read paragraph 3 of "Rebel with a Cause."
"The young person proudly asserts individuality from what parents like or
independence of what parents want and in each case succeeds in provoking their
disapproval. This is why rebellion, which is simply behavior that deliberately opposes
the ruling norms or powers that be, has been given a good name by adolescents and
a bad one by adults."
Now read paragraph 1 of "Gren's Ghost."
"I'm climbing out the window. It's midnight. I step carefully into the flower patch
beneath my bedroom window and shine the torch around my feet to avoid damaging
my dad's prize-winning gladioli. I lower the window, balancing it carefully on my
school ruler so it doesn't close completely. I mustn't get locked out. Ringing the
doorbell when I get back is not an option. My mother would never recover from the
shock of knowing her one and only son has been wandering the neighbourhood in
the middle of the night. My parents think I'm good-as-gold. And usually I am. But
tonight I'm climbing out."
To emphasize that rebellion is an intentional choice that teenagers make.
To point out the advantages of rebellion.
To explain the dangers and consequences of rebellion.
To specify the most important steps needed to become an adult.