Age is just a number, at least for Stephen Quinn it is. Stephen Quinn is 15 years old, but he doesn't let his age define who he is. Although Stephen was mature for his age when the plague began, he still had a lot of growing up to do. Throughout the novel The Eleventh Plague Stephen is prematurely forced to embark on the journey to adulthood. Stephen had to mature enough mentally to allow himself to open up and trust people. Stephen had to toughen up and become a man and he had to be strong enough to have courage in the worst of times. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he was struck by something that seemed insurmountable. He had to endure the pain of losing his father to the plague. At the beginning of this novel we see Stephen acting very mature compared to his father, however he still had a lot of growing up to do. Stephen never thought he could trust anyone other than family. In the first chapter of this “Decency is at an all-time low and there is no one to trust but yourself.” After the plague Stephen lost any reason why he should ever trust anyone, the only person he trusted was his father. Stephen is a very strong boy, but his dilemma of trusting people was holding him back. If they wanted to move forward, Stephen would have to trust someone eventually, but he couldn't understand the idea of ​​trusting anyone other than his father. During their journey they came across a small civilization called “Settlers Land”. “I haven't seen another child since the plague started.” Stephen said in chapter 5. This was Stephen's bridge to trusting someone for the first time in a long time. He realized that there were other people who were just like him and only wanted the best for their families. Stephen is turning more and more into... middle of paper....... In chapter fourteen Stephen says to himself “Dad lay before me, as still as ever”. This showed that Stephen knew he had to move forward as he laid his father to rest and then buried him. Stephen was very sad, but whatever he did from then on, it was for his father. Stephen Quinn was no longer the same fifteen-year-old he was when the plague began. Stephen was going through the plague with many problems and many decisions. Stephen has matured exponentially into adulthood since the plague began. If Stephen were to continue on this path he could be the smartest and strongest person in the world. After everything that happened to Stephen, there was no going back. Stephen has transformed into the man that Dad also wanted him to be before he died. Stephen was a truly courageous adult. Works CitedHirsch, Jeff. The eleventh plague. New York City: Scholastic, 2011. Print.