In literature, a bildungsroman is a type of story that follows the growth and development of the main character from childhood to adulthood. The word comes from the German language, where "Bildung" means "formation" or "education," and "Roman" means "novel." The term describes stories that focus on how the main character changes in their thoughts, actions, and understanding of the world as they grow older. German pronunciation: [ˈbɪldʊŋs.ʁoˌmaːn].

Origin

The term was first used in 1819 by a scholar named Johann Karl Simon Morgenstern during his university classes. Later, Wilhelm Dilthey helped make the term more widely accepted in 1870 and made it popular in 1905. This genre has certain rules, subjects, and themes that define it. The phrase "coming-of-age novel" is sometimes used the same way as "bildungsroman," but it is usually used more broadly and with less technical detail.

The beginning of the bildungsroman is often linked to the publication of Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1795–96. Some also credit Christoph Martin Wieland's book Geschichte des Agathon from 1767 as an early example. Although this genre started in Germany, it later influenced writers in Europe and around the world. Thomas Carlyle translated Goethe's novel into English in 1824 and wrote his own bildungsroman, Sartor Resartus, between 1833 and 1834. These works inspired many British authors. In the 20th century, the genre spread to France and other countries globally.

Barbara Whitman suggested that the Iliad might be the first bildungsroman. The story is not only about the Trojan War but also shows the growth of Achilles. At the start, Achilles is a young, impulsive person whose choices cause harm to himself and others. The story ends when Achilles becomes mature and lets King Priam retrieve Hector's body.

This genre can be easily adapted into movies, known as coming-of-age films.

Plot outline

A bildungsroman is a story about a young, inexperienced person who searches for answers to life's questions, hoping to gain knowledge and understanding of the world. This type of story began with folktales about a clumsy or youngest child who leaves home to find success. Often, the story starts with an emotional loss that causes the main character to leave on their journey. In a bildungsroman, the goal is for the character to grow into a mature person, which happens slowly and through challenges. The story often shows a struggle between the main character and society. Over time, the character learns to accept society's values and is finally accepted by society, with their past mistakes and disappointments behind them. In some stories, the character helps others after reaching maturity.

Franco Moretti says the main conflict in a bildungsroman is the idea that modern society values youth and progress too much, which clashes with the more fixed view of happiness and resolution found in the endings of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

There are many types of bildungsroman. An Entwicklungsroman ("development novel") focuses on general growth, not just self-improvement. An Erziehungsroman ("education novel") centers on learning and schooling, while a Künstlerroman ("artist novel") follows the development of an artist and their personal growth. Some memoirs and journals, like The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac or The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto "Che" Guevara, are considered bildungsroman even though they claim to be true stories. The term is also used more loosely to describe coming-of-age films and similar works in other genres.