Common Themes in Coming-of-Age Stories
A marked loss of childhood innocence, to some degree, in favor of maturity. Inner conflict and turmoil, resulting in personal growth and development. Developing from a self-centered thinking to a more worldly, other-focused thought. Learning where one fits in the larger world.
The coming-of-age genre is a type of movie focused on a child or teenager's transition from childhood to young adulthood. Typically a protagonist faces a new challenge in which they begin to lose their childhood innocence.
Much like the bildungsroman, the coming of age character arc is all about a character becoming an individual, learning to rely on themselves, and ultimately shedding their childhood guardians. Put simply, this arc charts a character's growth from a dependent child into an independent adult.
A coming-of-age story focuses on detailing the growth of the protagonist from a child to an adult. The majority of these works typically follow pre-teens and teenagers who are traversing into the world of adulthood.
A coming-of-age story is a catch-all term for a novel about growing up that can fall into nearly any genre; a Bildungsroman is a specific genre of literature about the growth and education that a character undergoes from lost child to mature adult.
In her book, Damour describes seven stages in a girl's life: parting with childhood; joining a new tribe; harnessing emotions; contending with adult authority; planning for the future; entering the romantic world; and caring for herself.
Coming-of-age stories cast a spotlight on these personal relationships, and how various incidents and decisions test these bonds. It's rewarding to see troubled or distant relationships get stronger, and equally heartbreaking to see characters drift apart.
Coming of age is a preferred theme among many authors , all over the world. Although it is a very popular theme, it is important not to forget the traditions and ceremonies behind it.
Coming of Age is a genre which explores the transition from adolescence to adulthood. In fandom, this is a very common trope, at times partially defined by young romance, throughout high school and into college.
Genre consists of four elements or parts: character, story, plot and setting. An equation for remembering the genre is: Story (Action) + Plot + Character + Setting = Genre. This becomes an easy way to remember the elements of a genre.
Children's films tend to be didactic in the sense that they teach children, as well as adults, life lessons. JK Rowling's Harry Potter film series can be viewed as coming of age films as the characters grow from their mistakes.
The Four Stages of Life
Life consists of infancy, youth, the middle years and old age. Each stage is an important and beautiful time of growth, learning, caring and sharing in a special and unique way.
You can use endlessly different story structures and styles, but when you write a novel or story, it is going to boil down to three fundamental elements: character, setting, and plot.
THEMATIC STATEMENTS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOUR STORY:
To fully grow up, children need to make their own mistakes. Children today are growing up faster than they used to (or should have to). The transformation from teenager to adult always comes with some loss. In hindsight, high school wasn't all that important after all.
According to Medium.com, coming of age films show “teenagers or young adults learning how to navigate the world” in a way that is “lively and bright, filled with the woes of adolescence and the growing pains of entering adulthood”.
What makes these books so special is the fact that no one character's journey to adulthood is the same, which is also reflective of the experience of real teenagers. That is why diversity within the genre is so important.