English Literature GCSE
Bildungsroman
What Bildungsroman means in English Literature GCSE, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Bildungsroman
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood. *Pride and Prejudice* can be read as a bildungsroman, as it charts the emotional and intellectual development of Elizabeth Bennet.
A novel that deals with the formative years or spiritual education of one person. Jane Eyre is a classic example, as it charts Jane's growth from a child to a mature adult.
A novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education.
Topics that use Bildungsroman
- Jane Eyre (OCR GCSE)
- Pride and Prejudice (OCR GCSE)
- Great Expectations (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Anagnorisis
- Free Indirect Discourse
- Pathetic Fallacy
- Retrospective Narrative
- Byronic Hero
- Doppelgänger / Gothic Double
- Entailment
- Epistolary Novel
Using Bildungsroman in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
Practise English Literature questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
All English Literature GCSE terms7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge