Bildungsroman - a special kind of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood.
I decided to take a look at our culture, our youth, and other books I have read after reading House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday. His book is like a lot of books that I have read in that it is absolutely a bildungsroman. Our main character Abel, isn't quite a child; however, must come of age during the novel and find out who he truly is. Abel does so while battling psychological demons and alcoholism, and who he was, a native american, was not an ideal identity during the book's time period. Historically we have seen books like Jane Eyre, show a young child completely transforming through education, art and religion. After the recent controversial election of Donald Trump, our youth finds themselves in a difficult situation somewhat similar to what our protagonist Abel went through. The article I have cited at the bottom of the page tells some stories of people who's coming of age will be negatively effected by the Trump presidency. First, the story of an out of the closet 15 year old, Maddie. Who is in a school where many of her peers live in conservative families that voted for Trump. Post election bullying has already tormented Maddie and has questioned her decision on coming out of the closet. She has considered going "back into the closet" however that could be possible. The second story is about a young 18 year old Mexican-American male who voted for Trump while his entire family did not. Although it was his decision, he has faced serious backlash within his own family for his own beliefs on immigration reform. The third story tells the story of a Muslim-American girl who dreams of one day being president. It is hard to imagine achieving such a goal after the continued spread of hatred towards Muslims that surround the Trump administration.
Our current youth having to have their own bildgunsroman in Trump's America
I find it important for everyone to find themselves and for them to not care what others think. Worry is one of the worst things someone can do. The reason is because the person is in a constant state of restlessness. Nothing can be done until the situation is discussed and dealt with. People also worry about the things that are completely out of their control. That I find to be worse. I believe everyone has a chance. I am not ashamed to say that is how I feel about the results of the election. I will say, I am not pleased with the radical decisions of the past month, however, people are so quick to find the bad that they dismiss any good that is done. The last point I found interesting was how you mentioned House Made of Dawn being written 60 years ago. I agree in that the situations in that time are relevant in this age. I believe finding ones self will always be something we struggle with. It is part of being human in my opinion. We need to help each other instead of bring each other down in these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteI found your classification of House Made of Dawn as a bildungsroman very interesting. In my mind, I had thought of a bildungsroman as being a much more obvious story of growth. In fact, I had only thought of it as a coming of age story. I liked your point about Abel not being a child but still needing to figure out who he is. I think that it is easy to forget that people are always growing and developing, no matter their age. I also enjoyed your connections between Abel and today’s youth. Abel dealt with a world where he often felt he didn’t belong and he possessed a difficult identity. Many of today’s youth are struggling with their identities and their safety. Finally, I really enjoyed your last sentence. Everyone has a right to be themselves and discover who they truly are. It Is very upsetting to think that some people are unable to do so without fear for their safety.
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