A Comparative Study of Waverley and The Portrait of a Lady from the Perspective of Bildungsroman

Abstract

In this thesis a comparison will be attempted between Waverley and The Portrait of a Lady from the perspective of Bildungsroman. Both Waverley by Sir Walter Scott and and The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James have long received abundant popularity as well as critical attention. Many literary critics have recognized Waverley as a historical novel and its potential romantic attraction for young readers because of the exotic settings and chivalry adventures. However, less frequently analyzed is its establishment as one of the first Bildungsromane in English literature. The seemly unrelated work, The Portrait of a Lady, shares some similarities with its predecessor from the perspective of Bildungsroman or as other critics might call it Female Bildungsroman. This thesis will be discussed under the framework of Bildungrsroman together with the elements of realism, romanticism, feminism and psychology. The journey to maturation and quest for identity will be traced all the way from childhood education(self-culture), travel, conflicts and choices, setbacks and disillusionment, resolve of conflicts and integration of one’s self with the world. Both Waverley and Isabel are young and ambitious protagonists who indulge themselves in reading from childhood and are deeply influenced by their readings, growing into romantic hero or heroine who are full of imagination and fascinated by the sublime. They both long to go on adventures (both metaphorically speaking and literally speaking) to see the world and achieve their ideals. However when they are venturing out into the world, they both encounter various kinds of people from different cultural backgrounds which leads to conflicts between their identity and values and that of the others and also the demands of society as a whole, then they face dilemmas when they are forced to make choices which leads to disillusionment and reflection upon their lives and selves. In the end they reconcile with the world and reintegrate their past into their identities and confront the world as mature and complete individuals.