2 The Necessary Elements of Female Bildungsroman
A bildungsroman, in its simplest sense, is a novel of the development of a young man or a young woman. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a bildungsroman is “a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character.” (2008:121) The subject of these novels is the development of the protagonist’s mind and character, in the passage from childhood through varied experiences—and often through a spiritual crisis—into maturity, which usually involves recognition of one’s identity and role in the world.” (Abrams, 2006: 193)

2.1 Definition of Female Bildungsroman
Female Bildungsroman is the genre talking about Bildungsroman under feminine context. It not only fills the vacancy of studies on the development of female protagonists, but also “demonstrates the continuing vitality of genre, as well as an ongoing cultural preoccupation with how identities emerge and evolve” (Rishoi, 2003: 60). 从女性成长小说元素解读《风雨哈佛路》(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_4095.html