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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Page 7
... chapter called 'The Dialectic of Initiation in America', he argued that, 'But if American Innocence means anything, it must mean just this: that every generation, native or foreignborn, began its task anew despite the secret betrayals ...
... chapter called 'The Dialectic of Initiation in America', he argued that, 'But if American Innocence means anything, it must mean just this: that every generation, native or foreignborn, began its task anew despite the secret betrayals ...
Page 14
... chapter entitled 'Go West, My Son', draws attention to Holden's desire to run away to the frontier to work in a gas station pretending to be a deaf mute. This is an expression of Holden's need to escape the corruption of New York for a ...
... chapter entitled 'Go West, My Son', draws attention to Holden's desire to run away to the frontier to work in a gas station pretending to be a deaf mute. This is an expression of Holden's need to escape the corruption of New York for a ...
Page 15
... chapter the father went missing before the narrative began. The search for the father is complicated in various ways, and therefore both novels are characterised not only by absent fathers, but also by various father-surrogates who are ...
... chapter the father went missing before the narrative began. The search for the father is complicated in various ways, and therefore both novels are characterised not only by absent fathers, but also by various father-surrogates who are ...
Page 21
... chapter, entitled 'Presumed Dead', is also the culmination of the development of his moral conscience as regards crime. Bone is symbolically re-born at precisely that moment in his moral education when he realises 'it was wrong to be ...
... chapter, entitled 'Presumed Dead', is also the culmination of the development of his moral conscience as regards crime. Bone is symbolically re-born at precisely that moment in his moral education when he realises 'it was wrong to be ...
Page 23
... chapter, for example, that Bone finally tells us he was born in 1979). In this respect Bone's meeting with the character called I-Man brings about a significant change in the form of Bone's In the Name of the Father 23.
... chapter, for example, that Bone finally tells us he was born in 1979). In this respect Bone's meeting with the character called I-Man brings about a significant change in the form of Bone's In the Name of the Father 23.
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