Bildungsroman: A Journey of Self- Development

1475 Words6 Pages
Bildungsroman: A Journey of Self- Development The idea of Bildungsroman relates to the concept of self-development and growth. It is about the changes that one individual goes through, and the subtle little defining moments one experiences or witnesses, while searching for meaning and reasons for their own existence. Throughout Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby; Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis; Angels and Insects by A.S. Byatt; and The Power and The Glory by Graham Greene, the characters all learn from their experiences and have major realizations along the way. The process of change is long, gradual, and sometimes arduous; so the character is constantly reminded of flaws and problems in their lives, which they learn from and grow from through specific turning points. Each of these four novels ends with the character learning and realizing how they have changed and having knowledge of why they changed; however each character has different life lessons and their own way of interpreting them. In Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, Nick is only a teen when he beings to form his obsession with the Arsenal football team. Being a teen, he still has a lot to learn about life and love, however there are many times when his obsession with football gets in the way. However, regarding the idea of Bildungsroman, his obsession teaches him things and helps him grow in ways that he never would have imagined. When Nick is younger he is rather immature and sometimes his actions and feelings would relate to the idea of objective correlative. When the Arsenal football team did bad, his life sucked; when they did well, his life was good. At one point in the novel he even claims that no words can describe the joy that football brings him. He even compares it to child-birth. As his life progresses certain incidents show the reader that football is life for Nick. He ditches a party that his

More about Bildungsroman: A Journey of Self- Development

Open Document