Bom Boy by Yewande Omotoso is written in the genre known as the Bildungsroman. However, it is in the form of Bildungsroman dissent. Peiker (2015) states that “A fundamental difference in plot between the dissenting Bildungsroman and the traditional Bildungsroman is that a finished Bildung, the essential component of the traditional Bildungsroman, is almost impossible in the dissenting version in which the novel does not end with the protagonist's tale . initiation into society. Instead, Peiker (2015) further states that “the protagonist's efforts to find his place in contemporary society either meet with explicit failure or before his precious apprenticeship comes to an end.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The essay below will discuss what distinguishes the novel as a version of a dissensual Bildungsroman with reference to the protagonist not integrated into society, internal conflicts, melancholic attachment, superstition, and myth. Leke Denton doesn't meet our expectations as a traditional bildungsroman protagonist at the end of the novel. Omotoso opens the story with a description of Leke: “a thing had begun to grow like a tree in Leke Denton's throat. It was the same thing growing up when he was cast in the school play and was there when girls looked away as he walked down the halls. An invisible outburst." The word “rash” suggests something that is uncomfortable and something that people don't necessarily want. If a person has a rash, they don't want to be around them for fear of getting the same rash. Therefore, Leke feeling that he has an outburst, emits an aura of disgust which implies that he has difficulty connecting with people and is shy. Furthermore, Leke is labeled as a “cardboard boy”, which means that Leke is like cardboard that is thrown away and a “rental boy”, which implies that Leke is something that is temporary and should not be “bought to keep it." Thus he is alienated and not accepted into his community; these characteristics are typical of a protagonist at the beginning of the traditional Bildungsroman. In contrast to the growth of a protagonist in a traditional Bildungsroman experience, we have no clear indication that Leke grew or progressed as time passed. When the Babalawo says that Leke has "childlike eyes", this suggests that although Leke is an adult, he is not fully mature as parts of him are still childish. The novel therefore ends with uncertainty as Omotoso describes Leke as "not speaking, shifting gears, picking up speed" mentioning that "after the prolonged cold and humidity of previous years, he likes the feel of the sun on his face." Picking up speed indicates that Leke is running away and not dealing with his problems and the “sun on his face” also gives us an idea of ​​some form of change and hope. However, the sunlight on his face and not the rest of his body could imply that the change or progress is not as complete as in the traditional Bildungsroman. The light (sun) has yet to reach his entire body. Therefore, this unclear ending desensualizes the Bildungsroman. At the same time, Omotoso uses a second protagonist who is not a feature of the traditional Bildungsroman, thus desensualizing the Bildungsroman. Oscar is an obstacle for Leke and this implies that even as Leke gets older, he may continue to be rejected because his mixed race and transnationalism make him “the other.” This completely eliminates the promise of reconciliation that a traditional Bildungsroman has. Oscar highlights his being Nigeriansaying “I was Nigerian after all”. It places great emphasis on Moremi, a Yoruba queen in contrast to Rhodes. However, he feels rejected and isolated as his co-workers pay no attention and make no effort to understand Moremi or his legacy, as Omotoso states that "The ignorance of his labmates mixed with the opulence of RhodesMemorial [ ferments] disgust in Oscar” suggesting that they reject his heritage and therefore make him feel isolated. Furthermore, Leke's internal conflicts are not completely resolved at the end of the novel as that of a traditional protagonist would be with the relationship with his adoptive parents will be explored. Omotoso says, “Leke’s heart was pounding sitting on Marcus… He [would] like Jane to come and break everything, but they had left her in the garden.” his adoptive father, the fact that he wants Jane to come and interrupt this interaction suggests that he feels a sense of distance around him. However, his relationship with Jane, his adoptive mother, is different. He feels comfortable and comfortable with her, but she also leaves him after her death as his real parents left him. In a traditional setting the protagonist deals with such tragedies, but Leke's case is different. He steals things from Jane and after her death reasons that they are "like a gift Jane meant to give him but forgot to", suggesting that Leke really can't get over Jane's death and uses the things he takes as a reason to keep still holding onto Jane. As the novel progresses, Leke enters young adulthood while Omotoso says “transitions like an amphibian into uncomfortable adulthood.” The comparison here suggests that Leke underwent a metamorphosis in young adulthood. The word amphibian comes from the Greek word amphibios which means to live a double life, therefore suggesting that Leke is living a double life. Secondly, Leke's internal conflict with the letters he receives from his real father is also not resolved. The narrator explains that "if he accepted the envelope he would finally know for sure who his real parents are." Leke tried to read the letters in the envelope but his “eyes [clouded]”. Place the bag “on your chest”. The fact that Leke does not want to open the letters immediately suggests that he fears an engagement. The letters represent a world he doesn't know so he feels anxious. Leke also has the habit of carrying the envelope with him and constantly checking to see if it is still there. This further emphasizes that Leke wants to know who his real parents are but is afraid of going into the unknown. A further example is the way he treats the Red, Jane's former car: “When in the morning [he leaves] to go to work, on foot, he opens the left door so that, when he gets home, [he hears ] as if she [was] reaching out to him with a welcoming hug.” This peculiar behavior indicates that the car becomes a substitute for Jane. Leke's melancholic attachment to Jane and the letters suggests his refusal to let go of the "old" and fully embrace the "new," which undermines the teleological design of the idealist Bildungsroman by desensualizing it. they need a certain model to be part of a group of people who form particular cultures, ideas, customs and social behaviors. However, Leke has no knowledge of his customs, heritage, or ethnicity. Leke is a mix of South African and Nigerian with a Nigerian father and South African mother. Therefore he does not know where he belongs and has no fixed model to fall into. Model (2004) states, “In the rhetoric of the adoptee search movement, knowing one's heritage and ethnicity contributes to the formation of an integrated identity. Information and connections with those who came before complete the circle of the self.”.