Characters facing maturity (Salinger, ...)

[aaron stark]

I'm looking for novels or short stories in American literature that contain characters (teenagers, adolescents) who are on the verge of maturity and seem to have problems during this period. I was thinking about writing a paper on it. So far I've come up with some pretty relevant examples, such as Holden Caulfield (TCITR) and Franny, another character of Salinger's.

Thanks in advance!

[hannah_arendt]

There are many bildungsromans: "David Copperfield" or "The history of Tom Jones".

Which literary period have you been considering?

[aaron stark]

There are many bildungsromans: "David Copperfield" or "The history of Tom Jones".

Which literary period have you been considering?

I actually want to focus on twentieth-century American literature. I also came across The Perks of being a Wallflower, which I haven't read yet. Would this also be a suitable case?

[Calidore]

You might look at the trilogy The Last Catholic in America/Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?/The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God by John Powers. They are terrifically funny and insightful semi-autobiographial novels about growing up in '50s Chicago.

[mona amon]

Have you read the Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow? Apart from being American and starting when the protagonist is a teen I don't know if it is what you're looking for (doesn't really fit any mould actually) but it's a wonderful novel and really worth giving it a go.

[coeus]

20th century American Lit coming-of-age novels? Ok, off the top of my head:

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Horseman, Pass By - Larry McMurtry
A Seperate Peace - John Knowles
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski

And yes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower would also be a good example

[maxphisher]

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates