Coming of Age in Contemporary American FictionEdinburgh University Press, 2007 M04 18 - 200 pages This book explores the ways in which a range of recent American novelists have handled the genre of the 'coming-of-age' novel, or the Bildungsroman. Novels of this genre characteristically dramatise the vicissitudes of growing up and the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, often presented through depictions of immediate family relationships and other social structures. This book considers a variety of different American cultures (in terms of race, class and gender) and a range of contemporary coming-of-age novels, so that aesthetic judgements about the fiction might be made in the context of the social history that fiction represents. A series of questions are asked:* Does the coming-of-age moment in these novels coincide with an interpretation of the 'fall' of America?* What kind of national commentary does it therefore facilitate?* Is the Bildungsroman a quintessentially American genre?* What can it usefully tell us about contemporary American culture? Although the focus is on the conte |
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Kenneth Millard. Coming of Age in Contemporary American Fiction Kenneth Millard Edinburgh University Press © Kenneth Millard, 2007 Edinburgh University Press Ltd 22 George.
Kenneth Millard. Coming of Age in Contemporary American Fiction Kenneth Millard Edinburgh University Press © Kenneth Millard, 2007 Edinburgh University Press Ltd 22 George.
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... America 4 Language Acquisition: Life Sentences Scott Bradfield, The History of Luminous Motion Mark Richard, Fishboy 5 Lexicon of Love Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping Josephine Humphreys, Rich in Love 6 Memoirs and Memorials Dorothy ...
... America 4 Language Acquisition: Life Sentences Scott Bradfield, The History of Luminous Motion Mark Richard, Fishboy 5 Lexicon of Love Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping Josephine Humphreys, Rich in Love 6 Memoirs and Memorials Dorothy ...
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... America is their oldest tradition' – Oscar Wilde This book is a critical study of coming of age as it is represented in the contemporary fiction of the United States. It is a work of advocacy on behalf of the individual novels that are ...
... America is their oldest tradition' – Oscar Wilde This book is a critical study of coming of age as it is represented in the contemporary fiction of the United States. It is a work of advocacy on behalf of the individual novels that are ...
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... American memoirs such as Joan Didion's Where I Was From (2003), Dale Peck's What We Lost: A Story of My Father's Childhood (2003), Mary Karr's The Liars' Club (1994), J. T. Leroy's Sarah (2000) and The Heart is Deceitful Above All ...
... American memoirs such as Joan Didion's Where I Was From (2003), Dale Peck's What We Lost: A Story of My Father's Childhood (2003), Mary Karr's The Liars' Club (1994), J. T. Leroy's Sarah (2000) and The Heart is Deceitful Above All ...
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... American national mythology. For example, one particularly prevalent conception of the United States is that it originated as a nation by means of a decisive break with an Old World that had grown corrupt and moribund. This departure to ...
... American national mythology. For example, one particularly prevalent conception of the United States is that it originated as a nation by means of a decisive break with an Old World that had grown corrupt and moribund. This departure to ...
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
Growing up in the Sixties | 46 |
Chapter 3 Citation and Resuscitation | 72 |
Life Sentences | 98 |
Chapter 5 Lexicon of Love | 130 |
6 Memoirs and Memorials | 154 |
Conclusion | 181 |
Bibliography | 183 |
Index | 189 |
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Common terms and phrases
adolescence adult aesthetic American argued attempt attention authority becomes begins believes Bone Bone’s called challenges chapter characterised characters child childhood circumstances closely coming of age coming-of-age contemporary critical crucial culture death defined depiction desire dramatises Edgar especially example experience expression father feel fiction final Fishboy further genre girls gives growing idea identity important innocence integral interest interpretation issue kind knowledge language linguistic Lisbon Lucille Lucille’s Maisie male means metafiction Mona Mona’s moral mother narrative narrator nature never novel origin parents particular partly past Phillip politics protagonist Prozac Nation Purple question reader reading recognise relationship respect response Ruth scene sense significant simply simultaneously social society speak specific story structure subjectivity suicide symbolic takes tell things understanding United voice women writing young