Coming of Age Novel

Independent Reading Book/Coming of Age Novel

We have been reading, thinking, listening, and writing through the lens of coming of age. In addition to reading texts in class and on your own, you have listened to first-hand accounts from an administrator or teacher at this school, from one another, and will also listen to the experiences of the person you are interviewing. Essentially, we are exploring different characters and people's experiences of growing up through various genres and sources. Whether you are reading your coming of age novel or interviewing a parent, there are certain shared experiences we are observing and analyzing.

Coming of age story, also called a Bildungsroman (here's a fancy word to show off to your parents at the dinner table or to your high school AP English teacher :-), is a type of novel where the protagonist moves from childhood into adulthood through knowledge, experience, or both, often by a process of maturity and realization.

• it involves the protagonist/main character going on a difficult, complicated journey that involves gaining maturity and knowledge
• the protagonist gains understanding about life/the world by moving from:

1. ignorance to knowledge
2. innocence to experience
3. false view of world to correct view
4. idealism to realism
5. immature response to mature response

• the protagonist is faced with specific internal or external struggles, conflicts,  and challenges which trigger or begin this journey into adulthood

In-class activity: 
Independent work: For your coming of age novel today, focus on the protagonist's coming of age experience so far. Read independently for about 15 min, depending on how much time we have. Finally, in your notebook, create a web or list of struggles, conflicts, and challenges that are causing him/her to change and begin to gain maturity and knowledge. Include at least 2 quotations from the text that show this. You can use these notes to develop a thesis and focus for your blog post due Friday.

Small group work: In your small groups, have a meaningful book talk about your coming of age novel (10-15 min). Each person must:

• takes turns speaking; discuss your book and protagonist, focusing on the coming of age experience described earlier
• listen carefully to one another
• respond thoughtfully and sensitively to each other 
• keep the conversation moving by asking questions, adding new perspectives, wondering, making connections, etc.
• stay focused on the discussion and task

Finally, each group will report back to the class.