Bildungsroman In Rowell's Fangirl

Since the first spark of human life, coming-of-age has even occurred at the time of Adam and Eve. Many people think that the only part of maturing is puberty. However, one of the greatest parts of growing up is not, surprisingly, going through puberty. Coming-of-age involves recognizing different perspectives.

Reading coming of age stories are always interesting and at times nastolgic. Coming of age stories typically include a young protagonist forced to make a grown decision which is a transition to their first move into adulthood. In a sense, these stories show the protagonist shifting from innocence to gaining experiences. The two coming of age stories that we read in class were “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett and “The Man Who Was Almost A Man” by Richard Wright. Both being coming of age stories, they have similar features but were different in the sense that one protagonist seemed to have made a shift into adulthood whereas one did not.

Various novels can be classified as “coming-of-age” texts, this means that these are stories about a protagonist’s transition from childhood to adulthood or just growing up even as an adult. These novels show their growth and change in character over the length of the text. Novels such as The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston are all examples of coming-of-age novels. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God the story is focused on Janie Crawford and her growth over the course of the book.

In the short stories, “Saving Sourdi,” by May-Lee Chai and “The Moths,” by Helena Maria Viramontes, the main character of each short story goes through their own coming of age experience where they are forced to mature in order to overcome an obstacle. Chai explains her main character, Nea’s, struggle as she is forced to mature and overcome the departure of her older sister, Sourdi, from her life after she gets married and moves away. Viramontes, on the other hand, depicts her narrator’s struggle as she is forced to mature and overcome the death of her Abuelita on her own. Despite their very different approaches, both Chai and Viramontes successfully convey their main character 's struggles in their journey from youth to adulthood.

translates in English as being a story that traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from childhood to maturity. This is a prototype of John Updike's short story, "A & P," the protagonist, Sammy, is faced with a difficult dilemma, and comes to realize a universal truth about human behavior. Sammy comes to understand that the world is an unusual place and that irrational choices based on impulse are not the best way to solve personal issues.

Coming of age is an influential part of many people’s lives. They begin to leave behind their innocent childhood views and develop a more realistic view on the world around them as they step forward into adulthood. (Need to add transition) Many authors have a coming of age theme in their books; specifically, Harper Lee portrays a coming of age theme in his book To Kill A Mockingbird. Through the journeys of their childhoods, Jem and Scout lose their innocence while experiencing their coming of age moment, making them realize how unfair Maycomb really is.

Many of the most popular movies and literature follow the format of a coming-of-age storyline. The main character sheds their child-like sensibility and mature into young adults. Millicent Arnold from the short story Initiation by Sylvia Plath experiences becoming a mature adult. Millicent had received an invitation into the Lansing High’s elite girls sorority though, she must go through 5 days of initiation. However, Millicent learns that Tracy, her close friend, did not get invited. For her initiation, Millicent must follow and obey a big sister named Beverly Mitchell, or Bev. As she obeys Bev’s orders, she meets a little old man with a wild imagination. Millicent asks the man what he had for breakfast as she was ordered to by Bev. He replied,

Transition from being a child to being an adult. The certain age at which the transition takes place as does the nature of change. The choice to place Hannah Coulter’s story as growing up and coming of age in the 20s-40s allows the reader to consider for themselves the contrast between that culture and one of today. After graduation Hannah was gently pushed out of the nest and expected to be self-sufficient, finding a job and a husband. This was accepted and even expected by Hannah, unlike in today’s era in which children often remain with their families well into adulthood. While knowing that Hannah had the support,

In coming of age stories, the protagonists often experience a pensive and dramatic moment where either they break through to adulthood or retreat to childhood - it is this moment that unveils the magnitude of growing up for the reader.

Maturity comes with experiences in life. Some are exposed to those events early while others encounter them in their adulthood. These transitions cause character development within the protagonist, Milkman Dead. In the bildungsroman, or coming of age, novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Milkman evolves from an ignorant and selfish being to a responsible and caring man. While trying to become an independent man, he both socially and personally developed.

In a coming of age story, a character must look back on his or her youth and say goodbye. Nick Carraway comes to Long Island as an almost 30 year-old man who prides himself on the fact that he is a non-judgmental person. However, after his experiences he is no longer the same person he was before his 30th birthday. Along with turning 30, Nick’s experiences allow him to see past the illusions of the upper class lifestyle. Initially, Nick was intrigued by the glitz and glamour that accompanied the lives of Tom and Daisy. Slowly but surely, he matures out of his infatuation and comes to several realizations about himself and those around him. Fitzgerald initially presents Nick as a trustworthy character who reserves judgment and is unaffected by others. This first impression provides a meaningful contrast for Nick’s final opinions. After an unforgettable summer, Nick matures into a different person and has several judgments to make towards the people of East and West Egg.

Coming of age as a story theme illustrates a character’s growth and maturity as they transition from child to adult by way of either a single event, or a series of events. Coming of age is a popular theme in young adult and adult fiction alike, capitalizing on the fact that almost everyone remembers their youth and looks back on those years with strong emotions, either positive or negative (40-43, Benedetti).

Being a young adult, constantly circling the edge of the abyss of adulthood, is one of the most critically important and talked about moments in a person’s life. That’s why ‘bildungsroman’ novels have their own section in Barnes and Nobles and why teen movies are still one of the most popular genres: because the transition into adulthood is fascinating. And yet, most acclaimed teen movies get it wrong. From John Bender’s borderline rape-y advances towards Claire in The Breakfast Club and still getting to kiss the girl to (insert another example), most films that focus around young adults simply aren’t accurate and don’t portray the realities of being a young adult. To quote Cher from the hallowed film Clueless, “She’s a full-on Monet. It’s

A bildungsroman is very similar to the classic “coming-of-age” story, but the former tends to investigate the moral growth of the protagonist more than the latter. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, a bildungsroman “deals with the maturation process, with how and why the protagonist develops as he does, both morally and psychologically.” The critical aspects of a bildungsroman are, as evidenced by examples of the genre:

Cather was inspired by the vast possibility of the land that she grew up in, and incorporated that important aspect of her life into the novel. Professor Amy Ahearn elaborated that Cather put the “shaggy grass country at the center” of the novel, and allowed the form of the land “to provide the structure of the book” (Ahearn). Her precious childhood hometown was the basis of the setting of her novel. Alexandra’s parents similarly immigrated to Nebraska from Norway, and ran a large and successful farm. As her father was dying, he gave her the responsibility to run the farm in his place, as she was the one best suited for the task, surpassing her brothers. Further, journalist Amy Ahearn describes that Alexandra “had lost her gaiety and her femininity” as she “domesticated and enlarged the property” (Ahearn). As she ran the farm, she consequently had various aspects of her persona changed. As a result of her hard work to change and run the farm, Alexandra herself changes from a quiet lady to a prudent tomboy. She was faced with a responsibility she felt obligated to carry out, because she wanted to make her father proud