The Beautiful Struggle

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The German thinker Wilhelm Dilthey popularized the literary term “bildungsroman” in 1905. “Bildung” is the German word for “education,” while “roman” is the German word for “novel.” Consider the origins of the word. Can you make an educated guess about what “bildungsroman” refers to? What are some examples of stories in this genre from television, literature, or film? 

Teaching Suggestion: A “bildungsroman” is a coming-of-age story in which the protagonist evolves after experiencing growth and education as they move from childhood into adulthood. Students may have already encountered classic examples in their English literature curriculums. For example, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are all examples of this genre. It may benefit students to discuss this literary term in relation to a familiar story in pairs or as a class, as this will help them see how a modern memoir like The Beautiful Struggle fits into the genre. The resources below may also serve as a helpful starting point for discussion.