1. Coming of Age Mr. Murphy/Mrs. Pavlisin C.P. English II Semester 1

2. Synonyms for “coming of age?” Aging Growth (esp. “growing up”) Development Maturation Initiation

3. “Coming of Age?” -A process of change

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

5. “bildungsroman” German From “bildung” (education) and “roman” (novel) A type of coming-of-age story A genre

6. Elements of a bildungsroman Young protagonist experiences… – desire to escape – journey – clashes w/ authority figures – realizations about the world – reconciliation w/ society

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

8. Bildungsromane we will read together 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Options for bildungsroman/ coming- of-age IRA : A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – Protagonist: pre-teen Irish- American girl – Setting: early 20 th century – Tension: poverty and problems that come from living in a tough neighborhood – Style: frank yet heartfelt

14. 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

15. 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

16. Remember … Either buy book or get it from library Must have book in hand by Friday, 8/26 (1 week from today)