TVBIA- a bildungsroman

If a bildungsroman is technically a “Coming of Age” story, then it can be argued that The Violent Bear It Away is a coming of age story, despite the repulsive nature of Frank’s developments. Although the level of “maturity” to which Frank ascends is disturbing to readers, it still is a “coming into one’s own” in the context of Old Tarwater’s aspirations for Frank, his raising Frank as a to-be prophet, and his putting the responsibility of Bishop’s baptism on Frank’s shoulders. Frank struggles against each of these throughout the novel, but in the end, accepts them, including the duty and message that he believes God has chosen and asked him to share. In addition, Frank certainly passes from childhood innocence and confusion into full-fledged dementia and degradation as he murders Bishop with the approval of Rayber, and is homosexually assaulted by “the lilac traveler.” He also acquires the insatiable hunger that Old Tarwater had before him (perhaps it is linked to the mental illness), and manages to fight off his spiritual doubts. Even though readers would hope that he might somehow escape, Frank “successfully” grows into his destiny as an insane, self-proclaimed prophet.

Motifs in TVBIA

There are repeating motifs of fire and the color violet within The Violent Bear It Away. Not only does the beginning of the book mention that Frank has longed for a “burning bush” experience to establish him as a prophet (a desire which he struggles with throughout the book), his attempts to clean himself and his mind first after his great-uncle’s death by burning the house and then after his rape by burning the pine and other trees lead to his final “revelation” of the burning bush and God’s mandate for him at the end of the story. Fire is an interesting choice because while it is traditionally a symbol of purification, it is also associated with Hell fire, and is the elemental the opposite of the water that draws Frank and Rayber to baptism and murder. As for violet, in memories, old Tarwater warns that Satan will seek Frank out, offering him cigarettes and liquor...exactly as the “violet” rapist does later. Additionally, it is revealed near the end, in the boat, that the voice of the “friend” that Frank has been conversing with throughout the book has violet eyes, making readers wonder whether it was Satan all along.

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.

(Be)Wilderness

What wilderness is in The Bear, and its relationship to nature, is integral to the storyline. Wilderness is definitely tied to Old Ben; for example, once the hunters kill Old Ben, it seems to open up the future of the death of wilderness through progress' confining and cutting off areas of landscape by means of locomotives, train tracks and loggers. Essentially, in the same way that the hunting men have sought identity and validity through their capture and besting/taming Old Ben by means of killing him, mankind in general continually seeks gain and validity through 1)going back to the land from whence he came or reminiscing about it 2)selling and passing down land which really is not his to own or sell, and 3)traversing the land and taking from it for material benefit, regardless of consequences. Nature is more of the peaceful and beautiful side of the non-manmade world, while wilderness is more of the rugged and indominable side of the non-manmade world.

Extra: Why Faulkner Makes Me Crazy

and he doesnt use apostrophes when he should, but he is a fiend about writing conjoined words (she cant remember what theyre technically called) as if theyre one word within dialogue, even though they arent, not to mention his run-on sentences. Sentences are long and slow and labor intensive, containing all kinds of grandiose verbiage that makes it often difficult for them to fully understand what he
not a friendly writer to his readers. Although the historical richness and the ties made between this work and other works by him that contain the same family stories and legacies ought to be appreciated, they cant appreciate it very easily when they dont have much information presented in a clear way. They cant understand things like why
but without cheese or butter, crackers simply are dry and crusty, as lacking in flavor as dust rising up in a column from a well-worn summer-driven road. They do nothing to add to my quality of life in the hot, sultry South," he thought, but then he
want to write all blogs, disjointed, as if they were written specifically for him, as ambiguously as possible, and with a few made-up words thrown hither, thither and fronder, as well as imagery that makes them uncomfortable.
would have failed each and every class in which she is enrolled, if he had had the audacity to write them this way, and turn them in to Dr. Davis or Dr. Chinn. Rather, even creative writing with Dr. Garrett, as kind as he is, would have been

Identity Crises are Ugly Things

While Faulkner is skilled at making interesting characters by means of developmental quirks/strangeness, (e.g. Sam Father’s mystique and forest-knowledge and Boon’s repulsiveness coupled with his strange obsession with Lion), a major problem within The Bear is identity and confusion regarding identity. Not only is the main character, “the boy,” only rarely called by name, the story, especially the fourth chapter, reveals a history of racial confusion, moral confusion, and economic confusion, fraught with people using each other and buying and selling things that are not vendible, specifically, land. Meanwhile, Faulkner uses the whole idea of the hunt for Old Ben to give identity to Ike (the boy) and the others as huntsmen...ironic, since they gain their identity through the destruction of a life, much as the McCaslin line of pioneers and slave-owners gained identity from lording over Native Americans and black people. In addition, Faulkner adds to the confusion structurally; not only are chapters one through three and chapter five often ambiguous, but the entire extent of chapter four is comprised of broken paragraphs, interrupted conversations, and hopelessly entwined historical accounts, with Faulkner making no clear efforts to establish speakers or the characters about whom they are speaking.

"Their Eyes" as Bildungsroman

Although Janie experiences a great deal of growth throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, I am not one-hundred percent convinced that this novel is a bildungsroman. While this story has many of the characteristics, including the crossing of the bridge between single childhood and marriage, some physical growth, and growth mentally and emotionally by learning through experience what she does not like in marriage and what she does like, this story does not seem to have the neat conclusion that many other bildungsromans have. For example, Pip finds out the truth about his benefactor and issues come to a climax with Stella, or Huck chooses friendship with Jim over Hell, tries to set Jim free, and finds out that Jim has already been freed and they can all go home. With Their Eyes, Janie merely loses her only true lover, experiences a court trial that is mostly summarized, not told as a moment-by-moment sense experience, and which thereby denies the reader much experience of it. Despite the wisdom that Janie gains and shares in the end of her conversation with Pheoby, the lack of closure makes it difficult for me to accept this as a classic or typical bildungsroman.