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 |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 32
Page
... Bone Brady Udall, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint 2 I Change Therefore I Am: Growing up in the Sixties Geoffrey Wolff, The Age of Consent Gish Jen, Mona in the Promised Land 3 Citation and Resuscitation Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin ...
... Bone Brady Udall, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint 2 I Change Therefore I Am: Growing up in the Sixties Geoffrey Wolff, The Age of Consent Gish Jen, Mona in the Promised Land 3 Citation and Resuscitation Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin ...
Page 16
... Bone's narrative is a series of regressions in which he becomes increasingly empowered to address the trauma that initiated his story. In both cases, moving forward is a means of attaining a position from which the beginning can be ...
... Bone's narrative is a series of regressions in which he becomes increasingly empowered to address the trauma that initiated his story. In both cases, moving forward is a means of attaining a position from which the beginning can be ...
Page 17
... Bone are both fourteen years old, and both of their journeys are characterised by a tight temporal compression: Bone's lasts for one year, and Huck's lasts for a few weeks. Bone flees his abusive stepfather in search of his biological ...
... Bone are both fourteen years old, and both of their journeys are characterised by a tight temporal compression: Bone's lasts for one year, and Huck's lasts for a few weeks. Bone flees his abusive stepfather in search of his biological ...
Page 18
... Bone engages with is the collection of his father's letters. Bone's father has absconded, and his letters provide Bone with a glimpse of family history: 'He said he wanted to come back. I almost felt sorry for him. Except I didn't ...
... Bone engages with is the collection of his father's letters. Bone's father has absconded, and his letters provide Bone with a glimpse of family history: 'He said he wanted to come back. I almost felt sorry for him. Except I didn't ...
Page 19
... Bone's family circumstances are not unique, or even remarkable (certainly no worse that Huck's), but his ability to elucidate them in a voice that is persuasive and engaging is the novel's first achievement. Further, Bone has a dark ...
... Bone's family circumstances are not unique, or even remarkable (certainly no worse that Huck's), but his ability to elucidate them in a voice that is persuasive and engaging is the novel's first achievement. Further, Bone has a dark ...
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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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