“From the Free Speech Movement” by David Lance Goines caught my attention for a number of reasons. Right away I noticed that Goines subtitled his book “Coming Of Age in the 1960s.” I already know from what I’ve learned in class that coming of age in the sixties was totally different than coming of age in previous and later time periods. Teens today are expected and encouraged to develop an identity, and to take pride in ones-self no matter what that may embody. It was different in the sixties because it was the first time that teens were developing ideologies that went again mainstream society. If Goines had simply entitled his book “Coming of Age” it would not have had that immediate effect that it did in introducing a unique coming of age story. Goines’ arrest story lives up to the expectations I had assumed. The text signaled unity amongst teens, and his style of writing targets the audience in a welcoming way.


I first saw the theme of unity appear when the speaker in Goines’ story tells everyone that if they’ve got a dime, make sure they call Arrest Central to let everyone involved in the movement keep track of one another. This made me laugh because I usually think of most teens calling their parents if they’re thrown in jail, but then again a lot of teens had broke free from their parents during the sixties. The fact that the speaker wanted to “keep track of everyone” signaled the love and unity that characterized the rebellious teens of the time.


I also think it’s significant that Goines includes little clips of songs. It made me of the reader feel closer to the movement… in a way like I was there. Specifically this is true for the part where the speaker is singing while the cops are walking towards him/her. I could feel the anticipation building and almost imaged the song being sung by a nervous voice. These little song clips were effective because they help the audience get a little glimpse of the thoughts that are racing through the mind of the speaker.