ENGL 20620 - Coming of Age in the American Novel

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

What does it mean to "come of age" in America? How do we know when we have become adults? How have twentieth century American novelists depicted the struggle of leaving childhood behind and embracing new responsibilities? What are the consequences of growing up? In this course we will approach how select groups of American youth struggle to come to terms with what it means to be an adult in America; from Sylvia Plath's harrowing narrative of a gifted young woman's psychological breakdown in The Bell Jar to Ernest Hemmingway's fictionalization of post-WWI anomie in his classic The Sun Also Rises. We will explore this theme in novels by authors including Horatio Alger, Jr., Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Junot Díaz in order to better imagine how different social, racial and economic groups deal with what it means to grow up in America. Course requirements include four short response papers (2 pages each), a midterm and final exam, presentation, and final research paper (8-10 pages). Films will include "The Graduate," "Igby Goes Down," "Harold and Maude" and "Juno."

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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