Abstract

This thesis examines and assesses the Bildungsroman as a valid and conceptually sound literary genre capable of recounting the development narratives of racialized protagonists. It presents three primary arguments: that intra-racial colour prejudice is more harmful to the psychological and social development of Black-identifying people than systemic racism: that “race,” philosophically recognized as a social construct, functions as a performative construct within the context of the examined works: and that racially inequitable societies are intrinsically amoral, impeding the development of moral character.