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In genre studies, a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, or "coming of age". Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or internal monologue over action and are often set in the past. The subjects of coming-of-age stories are ...
- Definition
- Scope
- Themes
- Analysis
Most scholars agree on a standard definition of the coming-of-age narrative: the coming-of-age narrative: Simply put, it follows the development of a child or adolescent into adulthood. The roots of this narrative theme can be traced back to the bildungsroman, or formation novel. Late 18th-century German novels, such as Johann Goethes Wilhelm Meist...
Throughout the 20th century, however, the range in years for a coming-of-age narrative widened from this age group to include protagonists in their early to mid-20s. It is for this reason that the genre studies scholar Barbara White limits the definition of a coming-of-age narrative to focus on protagonists between the ages of 12 and 19. Additional...
As Kenneth Millard argues, a recurring element of the coming-of-age narrative is the way in which a protagonists adult identity is framed by historical events and points of origin and conditioned by social obligations and expectations. Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn serves as an example of this theory. In the novel, a young Huck accompanies ...
This deviation from expected norms highlights another feature of the coming-of-age narrative: the realization of social expectations and norms. To once again use the Huck Finn example, Huck fully realizes the implications of his decision: He considers himself damned and acknowledges that he will be unable to fully participate in the adult world bec...
Jan 15, 2024 · A coming-of-age story is a genre in literature and film that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist as they navigate the challenges and experiences of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.
There is not only a coming of age genre in and of itself, but it's also one of the most important types of stories, describing the personal growth of most of the characters in literature. So go study how coming of age works in the stories you love, and then write one of your own.
A coming-of-age novel follows a character as they age from childhood to adulthood or while they go through an important series of events that define their understanding of the world. The character is likely to go through emotional changes influenced by what they’ve seen and experienced.
Aug 26, 2019 · When you’re young, you don’t measure time in calendar years—you measure it in school years. So, as we embark on a new one, the Literary Hub office put their heads together to consider some of the greatest coming-of-age novels ever written, for discussing in the halls and reading under the covers.
Apr 15, 2023 · A coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video games that centers around the growth and development of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, also known as “coming of age”.
