The Angst of the Everyday: Using Narrative to Provoke an Affective Understanding of Adolescence

Authors

  • Katherine A. Bell Wilfrid Laurier University

Abstract

This paper is written as a reflection on an interdisciplinary course I have recently taught on adolescence. I begin by noting the difficulties of negotiating theoretical claims and disciplinary insights about adolescence with a more embodied understanding of how it feels to be an adolescent, which, I argue, helps to humanize and enrich discussions and debates over the parameters of adolescent experience. I describe two narratives that served as springboards for deeper affective considerations of adolescent experience in my course: Paul Feig's Freaks and Geeks (1999) and Alice Munro's series of short stories, The Lives of Girls and Women (1971). I conclude with a brief commentary on narrative ethics, which helps me contemplate the ways in which imaginative narrative is a strong addition to an interdisciplinary study course.

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Published

2011-12-12

How to Cite

Bell, K. A. (2011). The Angst of the Everyday: Using Narrative to Provoke an Affective Understanding of Adolescence. Narrative Works, 1(2). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NW/article/view/18794

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2011)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright for articles published in Narrative Works is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to Narrative Works. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.