is afraid that her friends will think that she is not normal because she does not even get her period. Therefore, Margaret‘s mother tries to comfort Margaret by
explain to her that every girl has her own period time, some girls menstruate earlier and some others menstruate a bit late. She tells Margaret not to worry
about that because she still has a few time to wait her period comes but she cannot wait any longer. She says that she will die if she needs to wait until she is
fourteen. At the end, Margaret‘s mother says that she will take her to the doctor if Margaret‘s period does not start by the time in her fourteen.
b. Parenting
Parenting is about how Margaret‘s parents educating, explaining, and give some understanding to Margaret.
Thats another thing. My mothers always talking about when Im a teenager. Stand up straight, Margaret Good posture now makes for a good
figure later. Wash your face with soap, Margaret Then you wont get pimples when youre a teenager Blume, 1970: 25.
The quotation above shows how Margaret‘s mother teaches Margaret how
to be a teenager . Margaret‘s mother tells her to stand up straight so that she will
get a good figure later. She also tells Margaret to wash her face with soap then she will not get pimples. Margaret‘s mother is educating her to be more concern
with her body when she turns to be a teenager later because her physical body will change. There will be a lot of things that Margaret needs to maintain if she
still wants to look good when she turns to be a teenager. Another thing about parenting is shown when Margare
t goes to Nancy‘s home and finds what Nancy‘s to do with her cosmetics.
Nancy studied herself in the heartshaped mirror. She rubbed her lips together. Well, maybe youre right. She wiped off the lipstick with a
tissue. My mother would kill me if I came out like this anyway. I cant wait till eighth grade. Thats when Ill be allowed to wear lipstick every
day. Blume, 1970: 8
In the quotation above, it shows that Nancy is a girl who likes to do some experiment with adult stuffs. Margaret surprised to see Nancy has many cosmetics
that she keeps in her drawer in her room. Nancy even knows how to use them. Margaret as an innocent girl, she does not know and never thought about having
some cos metics when she turns to be a teenager. Besides, Margaret mother‘s
never teaches her about how to use cosmetic. However, Nancy even says that her mother would kill her if she knows that Nancy applies some cosmetics into her
face. Both Margaret‘s and Nancy‘s mother, they are not give allowance to their children to apply some cosmetics because Margaret and Nancy are still twelve
years old girls. They still need more years to become teenagers. It is not appropriate to let them apply some cosmetics when they are still twelve.
Not only teaching Margaret about how to be a teenager, her mother also gives her some understanding about religion.
“My mother says God is a nice idea. He belongs to every
body” Blume, 1970:4. Margaret lives in a blended family where her father and her mother have different beliefs. She is raised with no
religion and no one of her parents teaching her about religion. Margaret only
knows that God is exist without believe in a certain religion. Margaret‘s mother never forces her to have one certain religion, she only gives Margaret some
understanding about God. As long as Margaret knows and believes that there is God inside everybody and everything, Margaret‘s mother lets her to choose by
herself. Whatever religion Margaret will choose, as long as she knows there is God in it, her mother will give her permission.
3. The Important of Friendship in the Process of Reaching Adolescence
