The Value of Bildungsroman
Bildungsroman is a common genre used in texts and films that shows the protagonist mature and grow throughout the story. Bildungsroman texts display Coming of Age and take the reader on a journey which follows the protagonist’s road to adulthood. For year 9’s and 10’s, bildungsroman texts are highly relatable and relevant as the characters are in similar situations to the readers. Many students would not regularly read if at all and if they are forced to study a text about dragons or war, chances are that they are going to lose focus and become uninterested very quickly. However, you place a text which talks about and revolves around the same concepts and features of what the students are experiencing, they are far more likely to stay intrigued and focused.
‘Love Simon’ by Becky Albertall is a great example of a relatable, Bildungsroman text. The text of ‘Love Simon’ is all about a 15-year-old boy coming out as gay in society. It shows the reader the point of view of Simon, and his journey of how he came out as gay. The text describes Simon’s road to ‘Coming of Age’. As a reader of Love Simon, I can say that it was intriguing and fascinating as the plot is one that takes place in our current world and our society. The concept and idea of coming of age in a real-life situation is something most students can understand and have been through. Reading about something you are conscious about makes it more worthwhile and holds the reader’s attention.
There is a scene from ‘Love Simon’ where the protagonist (Simon) confronts the antagonist (Martin) after Martin exposed the fact that Simon was gay. Simon aggressively explains to Martin that coming out was his right and that he ‘should have been able to tell the world when he wanted, where he wanted and to the people he wanted’ but Martin prevented that. In today’s world, coming out as gay is quite a big deal and is dealt with very carefully. This real-life issue portrayed in the form of a fictional text and the concept of coming of age simply gives the reader a greater understanding of the plot and they are therefore able to discuss and analyse it easier than if it were about something like war which none of them had experienced. Coming of age is a concept which nearly everyone can relate to and has experienced so texts and films involving coming of age make the reader feel like they are or were a part of something similar in their own life.
The film ‘Stand by Me’ directed by Rob Reiner is also a great example of coming of age in a text. ‘Stand by Me’ tells the story of how a group of four young boys who go on a journey to find a dead body. Throughout their journey, they encounter obstacles and learning opportunities as well as life-threatening experiences, all of which help the boys to grow up and experience coming of age. Watching the film, once again, because of the realistic storyline, you feel as though you are apart of the journey and it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with many laughs.
A scene in ‘Stand by Me’, depicts where the four boys encounter the dead body but have mixed emotions about it. Before they could think, an armed group of older men pull up and threaten them if they don’t leave. Two of the boys run away, afraid for their lives. One stands his ground and explains that he isn’t leaving the body while he’s alive and the older men march forward with the intent to kill. Before they touch him, the fourth boy emerges with a gun and shoots it as a warning. They assert their dominance and make sure their hard work to find the body isn’t wasted. The two boys that stayed showed their courage and stood up for themselves instead of being bullied. ‘You’re not taking him. And nobody’s taking him’. They matured at that moment and experienced coming of age.
Bildungsroman texts and films are commonly produced all over the world and the genre is loved and understood by nearly everybody. The concept of coming of age and bildungsroman is one that many find intriguing and is useful to study in school as deeper annotations and notes can be made due to further understanding of the text. The value of studying bildungsroman texts is that you may have experienced the same situation which the protagonist encounters. It allows the reader to truly feel and understand the protagonist’s emotions and thoughts as they mature and grow as well as ask more thoughtful questions about the text when conversing with their peers. For these reasons, Bildungsroman texts should be kept in the curriculum and students should continue to read and study these texts.
