Description
We have been looking at genre in terms of the 3 elements; their myth, conventions, and iconography.
Myth | What is the basic story being told in it? What themes or conflicts are engaged by it?
Conventions | What settings, characters, patterns‐of‐action, and aesthetics characterize this genre?
Iconography | What images, sounds, and performers represent it?
On the next page is a list of words, phrases and sentences associated with the Coming-of-Age genre. Some of
these refer to the genre’s myth/themes/conflicts; others refer to its conventions, or to its iconography.
As best you can, determine which words, phrases, and sentences refer to the genre’s myth/themes/conflicts,
which refer to its conventions (specifically its setting, characters, plots or patterns-of-action, and aesthetics,)
and which belong under the heading of its iconography.
For example, if we were doing the Gangster genre, I might give you words, phrases, and sentences like these:
“a spectacle of poverty in the mise-en-scene, followed by the spectacle of excess”
“the viability of the American Dream;”
“the image of wing-tipped shoes;”
“the rise-and-fall of the Gangster;”
Edward G. Robinson
“a male from an ethnic minority group enters into organized crime and must be brought to justice.”
“the dense urban center;”
“individual vs society;”
“the Gangster’s girlfriend or moll;”
And you would have to place those words, phrases, and sentences in the right places in this framework:
MYTH
“a male from an ethnic minority group enters into organized crime and must be brought to justice.”
conflicts/themes: “the viability of the American Dream,” “individual vs society”
CONVENTIONS
Settings: “the dense urban center”
Characters: “the Gangster’s girlfriend or moll”
Plots or Patterns-of-Action: “the rise-and-fall of the Gangster”
Aesthetics: “a spectacle of poverty in the mise-en-scene, followed by the spectacle of excess”
ICONOGRAPHY
“the image of wing-tipped shoes;” Edward G. Robinson
Attached is a worksheet to help you out. Some version of this worksheet is what you will submit when the
assignment is due. You might want to print a couple of copies so you can refine your choices as you work.
There are 18 different words/phrases here, so be sure that your finished product has all 18 of them on it. The
vast majority of these words or phrases can only be placed in one category accurately.
Good luck, let me know if you have questions, and have fun!
Coming-of-Age
“awkward peers”
“voice-over narration”
“the suburbs”
“the image of a Ferris Wheel from an amusement park”
“finding a date for the prom”
“authority figures”
“a flashback structure”
“individual vs society”
“the image of a marbled composition notebook”
“a young person who is a social outcast”
“the past”
“taking a vacation or road trip with the family”
“the experiential, moral, or psychological growth of a young person transitioning to adulthood”
“issues of sexual repression or inexperience”
“older siblings or younger siblings”
“the death of a loved one or mentor”
“jocks or bullies”
“the image of pimply skin”
Worksheet | turn in this page with all of the words and phrases in the appropriate places
MYTH
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
conflicts/themes________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
CONVENTIONS
Settings_______________________________ __________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Characters_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Plots or Patterns-of-Action_____________________________ __________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Aesthetics____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
ICONOGRAPHY
Images_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Sounds_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Performers_(if applicable) _______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
