| Description |
The Bildungsroman, or “Coming-of-Age” novel, traces the path a person travels in the quest for self development. It usually requires examining the moral, spiritual, psychological and social aspects of his life as the protagonist seeks to reconcile the essence of his inner self with his outer being, and the world. It is not solely a search for identity per se but rather an exploration and articulation of the process required to reach a fully-awakened adulthood.
In this study group, we will read a great many novels illustrating this quest for identity; the list represents numerous cultures, time periods, and unusual struggles. Each week we will discuss a different book, and there will be a rigid expectation that students will only attend if they have, in fact, read the book. There will also be written assignments, and the additional assignments of viewing at least two films individually.
Novels may include: Nectar in a Sieve (Kamala Markandaya), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou), The Heart is A Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers), A Separate Peace (John Knowles), The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier), The Chosen (Chaim Potok), Emma (Jane Austen), Pinocchio (Carlo Collodi), Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden), The Painted Bird (Jerzy Kosinski, In the Country of Men (Hisham Matar), Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse), David Copperfield (Charles Dickens), Zazoo (Richard Mosher), Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson), and The Woman Warrior (Maxine Hong Kingston). However, these titles are definitely subject to change.
Please note that themes in such novels frequently deal with topics for more mature readers: violence, sex, sodomy, rape, and psychological abuse, etc… and guide your choices accordingly. I will not be willing to “water down” content in this course.
The students will be expected to read the materials, keep a reading log with entries for each book ,and bring the assigned book to class on the week when it is to be discussed. We will try to finish a book each week, and promptness in class attendance will be crucial if we are to reach that goal.
Target audience would be upper middle school/high school, with the caveat that students should be comfortable with the topics being discussed aloud. Please contact Erica with any other concerns. |