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Cherry


            
             In Mary Karr's memoir, Cherry, one of the relationships that makes an impact on the life of Mary as an adolescent is the one she shares with Meredith. The girls' friendship begins as one based on their mutual belief that they were of superior intelligence. However, it transforms into one built around the support and care they give each other. The girls do this as they struggle through the normal ups and downs of high school, as well as suffer through the pain that is a result of rather dysfunctional families. An important coming of age passage from the novel is one in which an already educated alcohol and drug using Mary completes the request of not so drug savvy Meredith to "corrupt- her. This passage reveals Mary s dissatisfaction with drugs and alcohol as a teen; it also includes Mary's mature, adult commentary on what Meredith really needed at the time.
             The theme of coming of age is present in Mary s initial insight into how fake the emotional consequences of drugs are. The passage of Meredith's first venture into drugs and alcohol shows how Mary's eyes are opened for the first time to the true emptiness that comes from drugs, which was assumed up until now as being fulfilling. When the idea of Meredith letting down her guard and taking drugs first hits Mary, she believes that it will somehow make the two closer friends. Despite the fact that Mary is delighted when Meredith begins to curse and do other things that are not the norm, it is not until Meredith has passed out that Mary starts to grasp the idea that drugs and alcohol are the exact opposite as what she had always believed. Up until now, drugs were seen as a way to flee the boredom of a typical Leechfield life by Mary and most other teenagers. Mary's first understanding is evident here, "Still the evening lacks the flavor of triumph you'd envisioned for Meredith's initial debauchery (Karr 219)."".
             Secondly, this passage in Cherry shows Mary's revelation as an adult that Meredith needed to be supported emotionally rather than introduced to drugs and alcohol.


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