The Contemporary Coming-of-Age Novel in English: Female, Ethnic and Ageing Perspectives

The aim of this course is to study the most recent developments in the Bildungsroman genre in English and the way it was redefined during the final decades of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first century. A selection of texts will be analysed from the perspective of gender, ethnicity and ageing. This will raise awareness about the manner in which these texts in a critical sense challenge traditional definitions of the Bildungsroman. In the analysis, focus is on aspects of the current socio-historical context, such as the gained prominence of women in society, transcultural exchanges and the ageing population, all of which are crucial both in the formation of the individual as well as for social integration.