This course explores the transition from youth to adulthood and its representation in literature. The period of time between adolescence and adulthood is often regarded as the most influential period in a person’s development. In literature, the bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, explores this transition, tracing the movement from the innocence of childhood to the knowledge and awareness of maturity. In this class, you will read books that investigate what it means to grow up, leave home, seek adventure, weather disappointments, and contend with one’s origins –– and what it means to grapple with change itself. How is identity shaped by the events of adolescence? What is involved in the transformation from adolescence into adulthood? How is the transition to adulthood imagined across time periods, literary genres, and differing points of view? How does reading literature shape and provide insight into our own identities? You will wrestle with these questions through class discussion and in a combination of analytical, personal, and creative writing pieces.
A History of the Bildungsroman
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