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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!
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?Quote:
Originally Posted by hannah_arendt
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.
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.
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
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates