Moonrattle

Moonrattle

I love academic writing, over-analyzing, and close reading. I'm interested in literature, particularly dealing with transnationalism and gender issues.

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    Latest Topics

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    The Anti-Coming of Age Novel

    In the bilungsroman, or coming of age novel, readers follow a protagonist on their journey from a state of naivety and childishness to maturity, in which they are able to navigate the society of the world. Yet many novels, classified as coming of age stories actually depict a very different fate for the protagonist. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye would be such an example of this type of novel. Why is that such tales of anti-development remain relevant and appealing? What is it that they say psychologically about the world that produces them?

    • Interesting. It's been a while since I read Catcher, but I believe it leaves us hanging on whether Holden matures. I'd be intrigued to see what the stagnation or ambiguity says about the world. If this isn't restricted by time period, Ellen Hopkins' YA work may be something to look into because she sometimes leaves the protagonist(s) without an upward conclusion. Interesting topic. – emilydeibler 8 years ago
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    • This a really intriguing idea, as I agree, many traditional coming of age novels leave students scratching their heads trying to connect what they just read to an outlook they should supposedly apply to their lives. I think this topic could be expanded into the discussion of how we often praise books of the label as "classic" while ignoring the lives and outlooks of the authors, which would be playing into your last question of the psychology of the creator or our mass consciousness. This would be also a great gateway to talking about what keeps them popular, but also what is being produce now and has the potential for being a new book that lasts beyond its time and becomes a classic as well. – TravisBoom 8 years ago
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    • I have not read Catcher in the Rye all the way through yet, but I have read L'estranger by Albert Camus which is normally considered a rite of passage for French Teenagers. In "The Stranger" we follow the existentialism ideology that was made famous by Jean-Paul Satre. Existentialism might have a lot to do with these novels your topic is about, so the "Anti-Coming of Age Novel" might be based on the ideas of this philosophical system (at least to a point). The Stranger was published in 1942 while The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951. This seems, to me, like plenty of time for the transfer ideas between cultures. – garland41 8 years ago
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    • Would love to see some references to modern bilungsroman. Murakami might be a start. – oakhubris 8 years ago
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    • FYI: It is technically "bildungsroman," not bilungsroman. And yes, Catcher in the Rye is a good example. One of the most famous earlier examples is The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, by Henry Fielding. Though most relate these types of stories to male protagonists, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, is regarded as a bildungsroman, as is Maggie, from The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot. One of the best examples is Dickens' classic, Great Expectations. On a more "contemporary note," Ralph Ellison's extraordinary novel, An Invisible Man is a pertinent example of a bildungsroman, as is Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird. More recent examples would include The Kite Runner, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and even Harry Potter. This is a fascinating topic. – danielle577 8 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    Moonrattle

    I think you bring up many interesting points. On an artistic levels, I too find that stories do not belong to anyone and that there are many benefits to presenting a story that is grounded on real experiences, even if those experiences have been altered. However, a key aspect of the ethics involved also has to with the element of commerce and profit in writing and publishing. If a writer, or any artist, is aware that they will gain notoriety from the backlash or the anger they elicit, which will in turn lead to greater sales, even if it is momentary success, then it really seems to be bothersome. I find that the element of publicity and money can truly complicate the ethics involved in such a debate.

    Joyce Carol Oates and Ethical Writing
    Moonrattle

    This was a great article, and it really got me thinking as well, as many readers have already voiced. I always loved the representation of villains in Disney films as much as the princesses, and in many ways they seem quite empowered or sexually confident in themselves, yet by the sheer nature that they are a villain, they often suffer within that narrative. It is almost as if a more progressive or inclusive form of femininity exists but it is still bordered in. I would be super interested in seeing how the representation of female villains has also shifted to accommodate public viewpoints, even if they may still be problematically represented.

    Masculinity and the Disney Princess
    Moonrattle

    Hollywood offered an illusion, an escape from a world that many writers perceived to be increasingly dehumanized. WWI on a symbolic level showed the very worst that the 20th century had to offer. That recognition that whatever inkling of a utopian vision that may have existed at the very beginning of the 1900s vanished, leaving behind an all-too-real and unmagical reality of the destructiveness of the human heart. It’s so interesting that both writers had this incredibly complex relationship with Hollywood and all it had to offer.

    Sunshine, Celluloid, and Shantytowns: The Hollywood Novel and The Great Depression