Coming of Age in Contemporary American FictionEdinburgh University Press, 2007 - 192 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 contemporary period, this is placed in the context of reference to earlier novels and criticism of the genre, as well as historical changes in the status of the family, and the adolescent within it.Features* Provides detailed interpretations of 12 key contemporary novels from authors including Purple America by Rick Moody, The Age of Consent by Geoffrey Wolff, The Virgin Suicides by Jefffrey Eugenides and Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel.* Explains the importance of the coming-of-age genre to the broader American literature canon.* Makes a significant intervention in contemporary debate about what is most valuable in recent American fiction. |
Contents
Citation and Resuscitation | 72 |
Life Sentences | 98 |
Lexicon of Love | 130 |
Copyright | |
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adolescence adult aesthetic Age of Consent American argued articulate authentic Barry becomes begins bildungsroman Bone Bone's coming challenges chapter characterised child childhood Color Purple coming of age coming-of-age genre coming-of-age novel contemporary creative critical crucial culture death defined depiction dramatises Edgar ethical example experience expression father feel fiction Finn first-person narrative Fishboy gender girls grotesque Hex's Huck Huckleberry Finn I-Man idea important innocence integral interpretation Jeffrey Eugenides knowledge language linguistic Lisbon Lucille Lucille's Maisie Maisie's male Mama metafiction Mom's Mona Mona's mother narrative narrator narrator's parents particular partly Pedro Phillip point of origin politics protagonist Prozac Nation Purple America recognise relationship Rich in Love Russell Banks Ruth's scene Sherman significant simultaneously sister social speak specific story structure subjectivity suicide Sylvie symbolic Ted's teenager tell textual understanding Virgin Suicides voice women word writing Wurtzel