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 3
... origin? This question haunts every study of fiction about coming of age; criticism attempts to situate the individual novel in relation to a term from which it derives its meaning, but the precise interpretation of that term, like the ...
... origin? This question haunts every study of fiction about coming of age; criticism attempts to situate the individual novel in relation to a term from which it derives its meaning, but the precise interpretation of that term, like the ...
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... origin before which there was little or no significant history, or one might point out that he put forward his arguments in the context of a historical period that he specifically designated the 'Age of Containment'. This is a ...
... origin before which there was little or no significant history, or one might point out that he put forward his arguments in the context of a historical period that he specifically designated the 'Age of Containment'. This is a ...
Page 8
... origin, to produce a compelling story of the American empire's beginnings, to construct an account of the birth of the nation. This is part of America's foundation myth. In whatever terms this point is defined it becomes the moment from ...
... origin, to produce a compelling story of the American empire's beginnings, to construct an account of the birth of the nation. This is part of America's foundation myth. In whatever terms this point is defined it becomes the moment from ...
Page 9
... origin myth, because all such historical accounts are retrospective narratives of history that are open to dispute ... origin that began it, but which is antecedent to its beginning. The origin that such novels attempt to discover and to ...
... origin myth, because all such historical accounts are retrospective narratives of history that are open to dispute ... origin that began it, but which is antecedent to its beginning. The origin that such novels attempt to discover and to ...
Page 10
... origin mattered. Scientists were trying to locate the moment of origin of the universe. They wanted to know exactly when it happened, and how, and whether it happened with a big bang or some other way. (Mason 1987: 192) This is an ...
... origin mattered. Scientists were trying to locate the moment of origin of the universe. They wanted to know exactly when it happened, and how, and whether it happened with a big bang or some other way. (Mason 1987: 192) This is an ...
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