Abstract:  Henry James is a famous writer in the 19th century and What Maisie Knew was written by him in 1897. This novel talks about the growth of the protagonist, Maisie, from an innocent child to a more mature adolescent. This study aims to analyze what Maisie Knew from the perspective of Bildungsroman, mainly discussing the definition and characteristics of Bildungsroman, the initiation theme, the initiation guide and the Bildungsroman mode in What Maisie Knew. Through a detailed analysis of this novel, this thesis reveals its Bildungsroman characteristics in terms of its contents, structure and characters.

Key words: What Maisie Knew; the initiation theme; the initiation guide; the Bildungsroman mode

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

  1.1 Introduction to Henry James and What Maisie Knew

  1.2 Literature Review

2. Bildungsroman.3

  2.1 The Definition of Bildungsroman

  2.2 The Features of Bildungsroman

3. Bildungsroman Features in What Maisie Knew5

  3.1 The Initiation Theme

  3.2 The Initiation Guide during Maisie’s Growth

3.3 The Bildungsroman Modes

    3.3.1 Innocence

    3.3.2 Epiphany

    3.3.3 Maturity

4. Conclusion10

Bibliography.12

Acknowledgements.13