Bildungsroman is the combination of two German nouns: Bildung, meaning "education," and Roman, meaning "novel." (Nouns in German are always capitalized.) Fittingly, a bildungsroman is a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character, and in particular, with the character's psychological development and moral education.

A bildungsroman is a growing up or "coming of age" of a generally naive person who goes in search of answers to life's questions with the expectation that these will result in gaining experience of the world.

2025年1月11日 · Bildungsroman, type of novel that deals with how and why the protagonist develops morally and psychologically. The German word Bildungsroman, from which the term is derived, means ‘novel of education’ or ‘novel of formation.’

Here’s a quick and simple definition: Bildungsroman is a genre of novel that shows a young protagonist's journey from childhood to adulthood (or immaturity to maturity), with a focus on the trials and misfortunes that affect the character's growth. Some additional key details about Bildungsromans:

A bildungsroman is a story of the growing up of a sensitive person, who looks for answers to his questions through different experiences. Generally, such a novel starts with a loss or a tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally. He or she leaves on a journey to fill that vacuum.

BILDUNGSROMAN definition: 1. a story, especially in the form of a novel (= a long, printed story about imaginary events…. Learn more.

What is a Bildungsroman? Where did it come from and what are its common features? Senior Lecturer Sam Schwartz answers these questions using examples from Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and contemporary literature.