Masculinity In The Bildungsroman

Bradley Deane writes, “As the development, narrative of the Bildungsroman was displaced by the episodic adventure tale, the decisive question of successful manliness was no longer moral growth, but conduct in a limitless series of competitive trials,” (Masculinity and the New Imperialism). Deane relates to Jim’s maturation because he is forced to become a new person, kill a human to save his own life, and questions why situations happen. Deane shows that Jim was put through immensely competitive situations and was forced to overcome them. Unlike in Stevenson’s text, Wyeth’s illustration depicts Jim’s stereotypical masculinity through poses and symbolism, thereby suggesting his gendered maturation begins in a domestic rather than an adventure …show more content…
Jim leaves the light and enters the darkness, which shows his “coming of age.” His entrance into the darkness shows that he is maturing from the innocent boy he once was into a man. The coming of age is a story that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood, which Jim accomplishes throughout this novel. By being independent and setting out on a journey without supervision, he enters adulthood and this happens when he is at home. It appears that Jim wants to cry in this illustration, but does not in order to prove that his masculinity comes with the coming of age. He cannot show emotion like he would have during his adolescent life. Jim also has a hat in his hand, which symbolizes his “coming of age”. In this novel, when one is depicted wearing a hat, it means that they are an experienced adventurer. Billy Bones, Long John Silver, and all other men all wore hats throughout this novel. All these adventurers had matured and experienced many violent situations, which made them worthy of wearing their hat. There is a cultural significance of the hat too. In England, it was normal for adventurers to be depicted in hats, which stood for wealth, power, and experience. No ordinary person should wear the hat until they are worthy, and this is why Jim has not yet worn the hat because he has not experienced a real adventure. The fact that the hat is in his hands suggest that he is about to partake in an adventure corresponding to his coming of age,which started in Jim’s home. Jim is also holding a bag with his belongings in it, which advocates that he will be leaving. The use of Jim’s expressions and possessions shows that he will transition from an inexperienced adolescent to a mature and courageous