At more than 14,000 words, this essay has exceeded the expectation of (6,000-10,000 words) a capstone project. It is evident that a lot of effort has been put into this, and the character analyses are supported by close reading. Suggestions have been attended to, and the work has proceeded via steady accumulation of ideas throughout the term. There is evidence of historical research into the Victorian era, as well as on scholarly debates on the Victorian texts, as seen in the literature review. The focus on characters is entirely appropriate, given the arguments concerning Victorian gender conventions.

The Victorian Bildungsroman genre, with direct influences from the Victorian era’s strict societal and gender codes, has bred different gendered ideals for its male and female characters. This paper establishes two Victorian gendered ideals of “male proactivity” and “female restraint” and looks at how David Copperfield and Jane Eyre, with their respective male and female protagonists, interact with such gendered ideals. This paper analyzes how David Copperfield constructs and reinforces such ideals through the characterizations of male protagonist David’s proactive quest of gentility and his female love interest Agnes’ self-sacrificial male servitude as the Angel in the House. It also analyzes Jane Eyre comparatively, showing how the characterization of Jane deconstructs such gendered ideals as her female restraint is used not for the fulfilment of self-denying male servitude but to accomplish self-driven purposes of female agency and liberation.

This project is definitely the most challenging writing assignment I have ever had to complete, as it requires the application of an abundance of skills I have learnt in all of my undergraduate studies. Throughout this process, I regularly maintained communication with my supervisor and sought his advice on the changes I intended to make to my project, as well as incorporating his feedback at different stages of my project. In completing this project, I have increased confidence in my ability to pursue postgraduate studies, and I hope to pursue an Mphil in literary studies in the near future, further expanding on my research interest in the Victorian Bildungsroman. While being the most challenging project in my undergraduate studies, this project is also the most rewarding assignment I have ever completed, and other than being an amalgamation of my undergraduate writing and research skills which I owe to the teachings and feedback of my past instructors, it also represents my passion for my studies, and I hope that I can look back on this project however many years later and still be as proud of it as I am today.