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 68
Page 1
... significance of coming of age to our understanding of contemporary America. Adolescents are important because of the ways in which they are at the forefront of social change, even while they are simultaneously the products of an adult ...
... significance of coming of age to our understanding of contemporary America. Adolescents are important because of the ways in which they are at the forefront of social change, even while they are simultaneously the products of an adult ...
Page 4
... significant coming-of-age experiences, but none of their principal characters is adolescent. Formative experiences can occur at any age, but in terms of literary genre the expression 'coming of age' is conventionally used of adolescence ...
... significant coming-of-age experiences, but none of their principal characters is adolescent. Formative experiences can occur at any age, but in terms of literary genre the expression 'coming of age' is conventionally used of adolescence ...
Page 6
... 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 significant debate for the coming-of-age novel ...
... 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 significant debate for the coming-of-age novel ...
Page 10
... significant part of the protagonist's coming of age. These contexts and origins become, in turn, the focus of the novel's social critique; they are the history with which the individual must come to terms, and it is here that the coming ...
... significant part of the protagonist's coming of age. These contexts and origins become, in turn, the focus of the novel's social critique; they are the history with which the individual must come to terms, and it is here that the coming ...
Page 16
... significantly new sense of self; it is the structure of the 'born again'. Also, this structure of movement, of the journey, is paradoxically a means of getting back to the beginning. Edgar's journey is dedicated to returning to this ...
... significantly new sense of self; it is the structure of the 'born again'. Also, this structure of movement, of the journey, is paradoxically a means of getting back to the beginning. Edgar's journey is dedicated to returning to this ...
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 |
Other editions - View all
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