Author: Surajit Ghorai
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/03060003
Abstract: The Bildungsroman, traditionally rooted in European narratives of personal growth and societal integration, is fundamentally reshaped when explored through the experiences of child soldiers in postcolonial literature. This paper investigates how the figure of the child soldier disrupts and transforms the developmental arc central to the Bildungsroman. Unlike the smooth progression toward maturity seen in traditional Western models, these narratives present fragmented journeys marked by war, displacement, trauma, and the long-lasting effects of colonial oppression. Through the analysis of key postcolonial texts, this study explores how child soldier protagonists navigate psychological disintegration, moral ambiguity, and complex identity formation. Authors utilize narrative techniques such as fragmented structures, unreliable narrators, and linguistic hybridity to depict these characters’ fractured realities. The paper also delves into ethical concerns surrounding the portrayal of extreme violence and suffering, and underscores the postcolonial Bildungsroman’s capacity to give voice to marginalized experiences while redefining global literary discourse. This study emphasizes the genre’s adaptation to the complexities of postcolonial trauma and the urgent need for global accountability in addressing the plight of child soldiers.
Keywords: Bildungsroman, Child Soldiers, Postcolonial Literature, Trauma, Identity Formation.
Page No: 18-24