Back To Realism:Lessing’s Anti-bildungsroman

Doris Lessing,honored as the woman writer capable of diversified writing styles,returned to realism in her later years.The Fifth Child and Ben,in the World are her two realistic works during this period.This thesis aims to explore The Fifth Child and Ben,in the World as a realistic antiBildungsroman.Through analyzing the plot structure and the characterization of antihero Ben,she elucidates that these two novels constitute an anti-Bildungsroman.Furthermore,anti-Bildungsroman as a literary genre leads to Lessing’s utilization of realism.This thesis explores Lessing’s inheritance and revision of realism in postmodern age.Lessing adequately inherits critical realism,exposing and condemning various social problems in postmodern milieu.Besides,Lessing employs the innovative techniques of expression that manifest features of her revision of realism,including internal monologue,free association,ambiguity,and so on.