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The IUP Journal of English Studies

Bildungsroman - An Art of Developing Cognitive Equilibrium

Article Details

Pub. Date	: June, 2023
Product Name	: The IUP Journal of English Studies
Product Type	: Article
Product Code	: IJES010623
Author Name	: Kiruthika P
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Arts & Humanities
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 07

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Abstract

Development of self is closely associated with external factors. There are many theories explaining the theory of human development. But the novels of the Bildungsroman Genre greatly focus on the development of an individual from childhood to adulthood. The Bildungsroman novels are rich in such social interactions that they give ample opportunities for readers to interpret them using socialistic, realistic, naturalistic and cognitive approaches. Also, there should be a cognitive equilibrium for the development of an individual to take place. Cognitive equilibrium is the balance between the individual's mental schemata and the environment. This paper focuses on the Bildungsroman novels and their role in improving the self of an individual.

Introduction

Bildungsroman is a genre that has universal appeal because everybody passes through various stages of life-from childhood to old age. Bildungsroman novels act as an intermediate between the individual and society and deal with the universal theme of the development of the self. The English Bildungsroman is characterized by variety. The central idea of the English Bildungsroman is the process of self-formation. But novels of this genre have certain elements in common, all of which are important for the development of the protagonist. Besides the struggle for social acknowledgment, they include the shaping of the protagonist's moral and cognitive abilities. There are also other genres related to the Bildungsroman, like Entwicklungsroman, dealing with 'general growth'; Kunstlerroman dealing with the 'formation of the artist'; and Erzielungsroman, focusing on 'formal education.' One of the main themes of the Bildungsroman is the formation of self-identity.