The Bildungsroman genre traces a character’s psychological and moral development from childhood to adulthood. It originated in 18th century Germany and has become popular for writing about women and minorities. The novels focus on one character’s development, often an orphan, who reacts against society’s restrictions and eventually finds acceptance and self-awareness. Examples include Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, and Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.
A Bildungsroman novel traces the life of the main character from childhood to adulthood. In this respect, it is similar to the Bildungsroman. The difference between the Bildungsroman novel and the “coming of age,” however, is in its focus on the psychological and moral development of the protagonist.
The genre originated in 18th century Germany. The idea of gender was first discussed by Friedrich von Blanckenburg in 1818 and the term was first coined in 1774 by Karl Morgenstern. The genre’s popularity soon spread beyond the borders of Germany and throughout Europe. It has become a common way for authors to write about the development of a person, especially that of women and ethnic or religious minorities.
There are a number of common features within the novels of the Bildungsroman. These books tend to focus on one character, although some will look at a small group of people. The important element is this development of the protagonist, who is often somewhat dissociated from society and is often a real or metaphorical orphan.
The boundaries of the society within which the Bildungsroman novels are set are clearly defined. These same restrictions, coupled with a profound setback or sense of loss, prompt the protagonist to react against society. The novel traces a long and slow process through which the protagonist finds his way in society and towards the acceptance of his values and ideas. Through this long journey, the character acquires self-awareness and a sense of social responsibility.
There are a number of examples of the novel Bildungsroman, with the earliest novel recognized as such being Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. The genre-defining novel follows a bourgeois merchant’s son, Wilhelm, and his dissatisfaction with who he is. Wilhelm finds his situation and social restrictions empty and lifeless. Eventually he finds solace and a place in a mysterious group and performing plays of Shakespeare, such as “Hamlet”.
A more modern example is Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. The novel follows three young protagonists called Ruth, Tommy and Kathy. They are literally orphans who grew up in a boarding school called Hailsham. As they grow through the book’s three stages, they learn their fate: they are clones designed to donate their organs to the sick. As love drives them to try and postpone their fate, they eventually learn to accept it.
The Kite Runner, a novel by Afghan writer Khaled Hosseini, chronicles the life of a boy named Amir. The novel is also divided into three parts. The first part follows Amir’s childhood flying kites in Kabul. The second shows his family’s flight to Pakistan and then to California after the Soviet invasion. The third follows Amir to Pakistan to learn the fate of his friends.
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