Growing with Bildungsromans

This article was written by Ruth Taddesse of Richard Montgomery High School.

Coming-of-age novels and movies have always been popular, especially for teenagers experiencing the same period of the time as the characters. Reading about a character overcoming different issues as they grow up provides comfort and support for readers struggling with the same problems. Related to the general genre of coming-of-age is the similar but more specific genre called bildungsromans.

Bildungsromans are specifically focused on the education of a character and their growth from a lost and troubled child to a mature adult. This journey and growth usually occurs after a significant and life-changing event and, unlike coming-of-age media, shows the development of mental maturity alongside physical growth. The name “Bildungsroman” itself is German and combines two words together: “bildung,” meaning education, and “roman,” meaning novel—literally meaning a novel for learning. Bildungsroman books also are usually written in the first-person with the name of the main character being the title.

Bildungsroman novels date back centuries; an early example is “Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which was published in 1795-96 but became popular in Britain after being translated into English in 1824. This book detailed the story of a businessman on a journey to find happiness and is believed to be the first published bildungsroman novel. In 1819, philologist Karl Morgenstern coined the phrase “bildungsroman” during lectures at the University of Dorpat after receiving criticism from a teacher about his mental journey and how his writings on art and philosophy had made him vain. The name and story structure was widely publicized after philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey included it in his work “Leben Schleiermachers” in 1867-1870.

Differentiating bildungsromans from regular coming-of-age media can be difficult, but bildungsromans generally includes the following traits:

• Questions: Usually provoked by a significant event or emotional loss, the main character begins questioning something at the beginning.

• Finding answers: The character then explores and pursues possible answers for their questions.

• Journey: The journey to find answers is the main part of the character’s growth, where they may make mistakes, become at odds with others and society and go in unexpected directions.

• Maturing: The character’s answer-seeking and journey helps them grow mentally while also growing physically, and the story ends with the character a mature adult with answers and a new perspective on their previous questions.

While the name “bildungsromans” may not be well known, there are certainly many famous examples of such novels and media. Older novels include “Jane Eyre” (1847), where a woman abused in her childhood grows and finds her place in society, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960), the story of a young girl who learns about racial injustice after experiencing hate early on. Famous book and movie series like “Harry Potter” and “Hunger Games” are also bildungsromans; the main characters are lost and young, emotionally affected by significant events in the beginning but maturing throughout the series. More examples of bildungsromans in pop culture include the 90s show “Boy Meets World” and the series “Star Wars”.

With a focus on psychological growth and maturity, bildungsromans are a special type of media with a great impact on society. Whether the character lives within a fantasy world or is a normal teenager in a small town, the questioning and answer-seeking they pursue resonates deeply with readers of all ages. Just as the character grows up to be a mature adult with a better understanding of themselves and the world around them, readers will follow in their footsteps and succeed in their journey as if they themselves were in a bildungsroman.