mnya-article-p58_3.pdf
- Bildungsroman Genre: The article examines how Dickens uses the Bildungsroman, a literary genre that focuses on the protagonist’s psychological and moral growth from youth to adulthood.
- David Copperfield and the Victorian Bildungsroman novel: The author explains how Dickens used the literary genre of the Bildungsroman to depict David’s life from childhood to adulthood, and how this novel enhanced Dickens’s reputation and provided a new perspective for readers of Bildungs novels
- David’s Growth: It highlights David Copperfield’s journey towards maturity, emphasizing his search for identity and personal development.
- Narrative Technique: Dickens’ narrative technique is noted for its ability to show David’s growth through his evolving language skills and complex sentence structures.
- Association with Characters: David’s character development is also influenced by his interactions with other characters, which help him learn from experiences and mistakes.
- The Bildungsroman is a genre that deals with the formative years or spiritual education of a person, usually from childhood to adulthood. David Copperfield is a novel that follows this genre, as it shows David’s search for his identity and his career as a writer in the Victorian society.
- First-person narrative, which gives David the control over his own story and reflects his mastery of language and writing skills.
- Heroism, which is redefined by Dickens as achieving success in a novelistic career, rather than in war or adventure3.
- Association with other characters, which helps David learn from his mistakes, discipline his heart, and find true love and friendship.
- David’s aunt as a supportive figure: She offers David financial support and sound advice based on her own failed marriage1. She encourages him to appreciate Agnes’s love for him2. She is a mother surrogate to David who guides him in the right direction.
- David’s dependence on female characters: David learns from the different female characters in his life, such as his weak mother, his first wife who resembles his mother, and his second wife Agnes who is mature and capable. They provide him with physical and spiritual nurturing and help him grow as a person3.