1. Sorcerers of Writing
Andy Choi
Crystal Liu
Anthony Vu
Whitley Zetina

2. Defining Bildungsroman
Conventions/Purpose/Types of Bildungsroman
Examples in works of literature
Examples in LoTR
Examples in GoT
Discussion: GoT Passage
Questions?
Sources

3.  Genre of literature that focuses on
the psychological, emotional, and
moral growth of the protagonist
from youth to adulthood
 Simply put: Coming of age story
"Bildungsroman." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildungsroman>.

4.  Protagonist is forced away from
home on a journey
 Undergoes psychological/moral
growth
 Goal is maturity
 Self-discovery
 Conflict with society
 Themes of grand struggle
"Bildungsroman." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildungsroman>.
“The Victorian Bildungsroman.” Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.stanford.edu/~steener/su02/english132/Bildungsroman.htm>.

5.  Portrays hero’s maturation
process
 Forces character to undergo
changes
 Defines expectations of society
 Fosters growth of reader
 Builds a greater understanding
of the character
Everett, Kristian.”The Bildungsroman in Fantasy Fiction.” Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://sfatsf.blogspot.com/2010/12/bildungsroman-kristian-everett.html>.

6. Gradual: Frodo slowly
grows throughout the
course of his journey
(LoTR)
Forced: Robb is
forced to grow up
when Bran falls into
a coma (GoT)

7. Ex. The Hunger Games
Katniss/Primrose Everdeen
 “I volunteer”

8. The Harry Potter Series

9. Ender’s Game
 Ender/Bean

10. Artemis Fowl

11. Throughout the course of his journey, Frodo grows up
as he carries the task of destroying the ring on his
shoulders

12. Samwise Gamgee also embarks on the quest to
destroy the ring, accompanying Frodo and growing up
alongside him

13.  Robb grows up when he is expected to assume leadership
of Winterfell after Ned leaves to King’s Landing to become
King Robert’s Hand

14.  Jon Snow comes of age when he
chooses to join the Night’s
Watch and is faced with the
harsh realities of life on the
Wall

15.  Bran Stark wakes up from his coma and slowly matures as he
tries to piece together the horrifying events leading up to his
fall

16. After the death of her beloved direwolf, Sansa’s
personality hardens and she becomes mentally
stronger

17.  Dany undergoes a character
transformation as she
becomes stronger and more
resilient towards her
brother after marrying Khal
Drogo

18. “[Maester Luwin] bowed his head. “Yes, my lady, but the appointments-”
“I’ll make the appointments,” Robb said. Catelyn had not heard him
enter, but there he stood in the doorway, looking at her. […] Maester
Luwin looked from Catelyn to her son. “I have prepared a list of those we
might wish to consider for the vacant offices,” he said, offering Robb a
paper plucked from his sleeve. Her son glanced at the names. He had
come from outside, Catelyn saw; his cheeks were red from the cold, his
hair shaggy and windblown. “Good men,” he said. “We’ll talk about them
tomorrow.” He handed back the list of names. “Very good, my lord.” The
paper vanished into his sleeve. “Leave us now,” Robb said. Maester
Luwin bowed and departed. Robb closed the door behind him and
turned to her. He was wearing a sword, she saw. “Mother, what are you
doing?” Catelyn had always thought Robb looked like her; like Bran and
Rickon and Sansa, he had the Tully coloring, the auburn hair, the blue
eyes. Yet now for the first time she saw something of Eddard Stark in his
face, something as stern and hard as the north” (Martin 129-130).
Martin, George R.R. A Game of Thrones. NY: Bantam Books, 1996. Print.

19.  What are some characters in other literary works who
experience coming of age?
 Do you think we, as people, also undergo some sort of coming
of age?
 If so, is it as drastic as in works of literature?
 Do all high fantasy novels fall under the Bildungsroman genre?
 How does the absence of a coming-of-age story affect the novel?
Is it necessary?
 Why does Bildungsroman only apply to young characters? Do
you think it applies to adults as well?

20.  "Bildungsroman." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc. 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildungsroman>.
 “Characters: Game of Thrones House Stark.” TV Tropes. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.
<http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/GameOfThronesHouseS
tark>.
 Everett, Kristian.”The Bildungsroman in Fantasy Fiction.” Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://sfatsf.blogspot.com/2010/12/bildungsroman-kristian-everett.html>.
 Hader, Suzanne. “The Bildungsroman Genre.” The Victorian Web. 21 Feb.
2005. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/hader1.html>.
 Martin, George R.R. A Game of Thrones. NY: Bantam Books, 1996. Print.
 “The Victorian Bildungsroman.” Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.stanford.edu/~steener/su02/english132/Bildungsroman.htm>.
 Villabourani, Adrian. “What Exactly is an Example of Bildungsroman?”
WordPress. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://villabourani.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/what-exactly-is-an-example-
of-bildungsroman/>.
 “What Is Coming of Age Fantasy?” bestfantasybooks.com. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.
<http://bestfantasybooks.com/coming-of-age-fantasy.html>.