The Bear as Bildungsroman

In The Bear, “the boy” as Ike McCaslin is called, grows not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally, making The Bear fit the definition of a bildungsroman. In addition, Ike McCaslin goes on a journey to the woods in order to find his identity as a McCaslin, as a man, as a woodsman, and as an American southerner. Additionally, the end of the piece explains the changes that have taken place. The countryside in which the characters once enjoyed hunting is replaced by locomotives and logging companies, and Isaac’s growth is portrayed in direct contrast with Boon Beauchamp’s deterioration; the story closes with a demented Boon sitting under a tree beating his gun and threatening Isaac, claiming that all of the squirrels belong to him. Growth takes place in Isaac not only on account of the besting of old Ben, the instruction of Sam Fathers, the loss of Sam Fathers and the progression of years, but also on account of the courage that it takes Isaac to read through the ledgers of his predecessors, face his past, and reject the injustice of his inheritance. Each of these elements make The Bear able to be characterized as a bildungsroman.