The Coming-of-Age Story or Hero Quest Bildungsroman The Coming-of-Age Story or Hero Quest

What Is a bildungsroman or Hero Quest? The story of an individual’s quest for identity within society

Process is long, arduous, and gradual Some form of loss must jar them away from home/family at an early stage Process is long, arduous, and gradual Repeated clashes between his needs/ desires and views imposed by society Protagonist adopts society’s values and is welcomed Protagonist assesses his place in this society

The main character is often an orphan or a child who has lost his/her father He/she is usually from a small town Education is preparation for adulthood It opens his/her mind to other possibilities He/she desires to leave home to search for his/her identity The hero often experiences love after leaving home

Stages of the Hero Quest http://www.interculturalrelations.com/v2i1Winter1999/w99hart.htm

Stages of the Hero Quest The Departure Common World Call to Adventure Refusal of Call Supernatural Aid Crossing First Threshold

Stages of the Hero Quest The Initiation Road of Trials Supreme Ordeal The Ultimate Boon

Stages of the Hero Quest The Return Refusal of the Return Crossing the Return Threshold Master of the Two Worlds

THE DEPARTURE The story of an individual’s quest for identity within society Hero will leave everyday world Hero receives a “call to adventure” May feel restless / outgrown old ways Hero accepts call willingly or reluctantly Aide or mentor appears Helps hero get past fears

Crossing the Threshold Hero undergoes ordeal in order to pass into the world of adventure Trial could be painless or violent Contrast between familiar world and the unknown world of adventure

THE INITIATION Hero must undergo a series of tests Helper / companion to assist Often violent encounters with forces of nature Each success proves hero’s ability and advances the journey toward its end Supreme Ordeal – expansion of consciousness (after a Final Battle) Ultimate Boon – hero succeeds in journey and acquires object or knowledge

THE RETURN Hero considers return Sometimes refuses Hero MUST return to complete the cycle Ultimately crosses the return threshold Takes form of awakening, rebirth, resurrection, or emergence Knowledge or object acquired is put to use in everyday world Home is not a place

THEMES Opening Scenes The opening of a story must do more than get our attention; it should also present key ideas and themes that will be echoed in some way throughout the story.

Voice and Point of View From whose point of view is this story told? How would you describe the narrative voice of the story? Are you sympathetic to this voice, or not? How does this point of view influence or affect the story?

Turning Points What were the most significant events in the protagonist's early life -- those that truly changed who he or she became? How does the story show the importance of those events? What recurring themes and motifs are there in this person's story? Choose one and explore how it is echoed throughout the story.

Who Am I? In some way, all coming-of-age stories address the quest to define oneself. Writing in the voice of the main character in the story you are studying, try to answer as that person would if the question "Who am I?" was posed to him or her.

Interpersonal Relationships Does the main character have "good" parents/guardians by your definition? How do they influence him or her?

Family What is the role of the main character in his or her family? Does that role change? What code or set of beliefs does the family seem to live by? What expectations does the family have for this person? Does he or she meet them? How does the character try to separate from his or her family? To what extent is he or she successful?

Gender Roles How many stories can you think of that portray men and women in stereotyped gender roles? Now examine the story you are studying: to what extent are the roles of men and women stereotypical?

Friendship For many young people, their peer group becomes more influential than their family. How do friendships change this character? In what ways are these friendships a substitute or continuation of his or her family?

Friendship For many young people, their peer group becomes more influential than their family. How do friendships change this character? In what ways are these friendships a substitute or continuation of his or her family?

Rebellion In what ways does the character rebel? What does he or she rebel against? How does the character rebel -- outwardly or inwardly? Does rebelling accomplish something important?

Where Is Home? How does the main character in the story you are studying define "home"? Is it the place the character comes from, or somewhere of his or her own making? What about this character's "home" seems to stay with the person wherever he or she goes?

Everyday Life What films or books have you seen in this genre in which the everyday life of the characters is especially interesting or unfamiliar to you? What do you learn about different cultures from this description of everyday life?

Romance and Sexuality Almost no coming-of-age story is without this theme. How big a role does it play in the story you are studying? Do you wish it had played a smaller or larger role? How?

Community Values Where is the main character from in the story you are studying? How does it shape who he or she is? What values and beliefs of this community does the character embrace? Which does he or she reject?

Education / The Arts Many artists, writers, and filmmakers first glimpsed the outside world through books, dance, or other art forms. What works of art were important in affirming or changing the main character's view of him- or herself?

Political / Social Realities As young children, we are sometimes unaware of issues such as gender roles, race, class, or other political realities. A common theme of many coming-of-age works is a dawning understanding of these realities. At what point do the characters in the story you are studying begin to understand the political and social boundaries that define their lives? What incidents set off this understanding? How does it shape them?

The Outside World How does the story you are studying show how outside events change or define the characters?

Some Coming of Age Stories You Might Know Go Tell It on the Mountain The Tale of the Swamp Rat The Mortician’s Apprentice The Dirt Eaters My Enemy, My Brother Hoop Dreams Angela’s Ashes Bastard out of Carolina

Black Boy Star Wars Great Expectations The Silence of the Lambs The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Catcher in the Rye A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Native Son Boyz in the Hood The Outsiders Stand By Me Lord of the Rings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Mama’s Girl The House on Mango Street Rattlebone White Oleander Their Eyes Were Watching God Girl Interrupted Coming of Age in Mississippi We Were the Mulvaneys The Joy Luck Club The Color Purple