Madhabi: A Female Bildungsroman

Abstract

As a literary phenomenon and genre, Bildungsroman has been extensively used as a literary term and a critical research method. This particularly applies to the current novel, Dr. Kamal’s Madhabi, under study. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to critically analyze the novel translated from the original Meiteilon into English by R.K Birendra Singh. It explores the common themes of the genre Bildungsroman, specifically female Bildungsroman, such as the quest for identity, female character psyche, socio-cultural factors, female education, etc. in the novel, emphasizing Madhabi, one of the female characters and her ‘bildung.’

Keywords

• madhabi
• female bildungsroman
• quest for identity
• character analysis
• female psyche