Coming of AgeMr. Murphy/Mrs. Pavlisin

C.P. English II Semester 1

Synonyms for “coming of age?”

• Aging• Growth (esp. “growing up”)• Development• Maturation• Initiation

“Coming of Age?”-A process of change

In Literature• A classic motif• A genre• Examples of coming-of-age stories?

“bildungsroman”

• German• From “bildung” (education) and “roman”

(novel)• A type of coming-of-age story• A genre

Elements of a bildungsroman

• Young protagonist experiences…–desire to escape–journey–clashes w/ authority figures–realizations about the world–reconciliation w/ society

Why read bildungsromane?• Reader can relate• Vicarious/cathartic experience• Helps reader mature

Bildungsromane we will readtogether this year• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger• Black Boy by Richard Wright• Night by Elie Wiesel• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Independent Reading Project• Begins now—ends early November• Significant in-class reading time• Annotation requirement• In-class and online discussion• Comparison essay• Book selection: –Must be something you haven’t read

before

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• Black Swan Green by

David Mitchell–Protagonist: 13-yr.-old

boy w/ stammer– Setting: 1980’s Britain– Tension: bullying,

family conflict, desire to write– Style: thoughtful, clear

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• Extremely Loud and Incredibly

Close by Jonathan Safran Foer– Protagonist: 9-yr-old boy

who invents– Setting: Post-9/11 NYC– Tension: Loss of father,

obsession– Style: groundbreaking,

demanding

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• Everything is Illuminated

by Jonathan Safran Foer– Protagonist: Jewish boy in

his 20s– Setting: modern Ukraine– Tension: Search for

ancestor info (holocaust)– Style: interesting dialect

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by Betty Smith– Protagonist: pre-teen Irish-

American girl– Setting: early 20th century– Tension: poverty and

problems that come from living in a tough neighborhood

– Style: frank yet heartfelt

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• The Curious Incident of the

Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon–Protagonist: teen boy

w/ Asperger’s– Setting: modern Britain– Tension: family

problems/dog murder– Style: syndrome affects

narrator’s voice

Options for bildungsroman/ coming-of-age IRA:• Mississippi Solo by Eddie

Harris– Protagonist: African-

American man in his early 20s

– Setting: Mississippi River in 1990’s

– Conflict: W/ river, racism– Style:

memoir/journalistic

Remember…

• Either buy book or get it from library• Must have book in hand by

Friday, 8/26 (1 week from today)