Great novel; Underdeveloped Bildungroman

Tim O’Brien’s work is one of the greatest novels I’ve ever encountered. However, as a bildungsroman, it falls short. I do not see the development and maturation in Paul Berlin that is usually shown in the protagonist of a bildungsroman.

One reason this does not work well as a bildungsroman novel is because it covers such a short time span. It does not allow the years of transformation for Berlin. Additionally, Berlin’s personality works against his maturation as an individual. He is a dreamer, who does not focus or fully take in his surroundings. He is avoids action by nature, and does not associate himself with a war that he is clearly a part of. Berlin does not leave the war, and yet, he doesn’t fully fight in it. Much of the novel reflects the experiences of other characters, instead of his own. He is controlled by fear and unable to develop or fully transform by the end of the novel.

As a bildungsroman work, it is not finished. Paul Berlin has a long way to go to understanding himself, his place in the war, and what he wants for his future. At the end of the novel, I still do not view him as an adult. I see him as closer to a child, who is combating situations he cannot handle.