Abstract Liz Murray is regarded as one of the greatest women in contemporary America. Her bestseller Breaking Night gives an account of an astonishing true story of courage, survival and overcoming all the odds. Her name represents a symbol of strong willpower and painstaking spirit.
A bildungsroman, in its simplest sense, is a novel of the development of a young man or a young woman. The novel Breaking Night narrates the gradual development of the protagonist Liz Murray and her quest for self-identity and success. The author successfully creates a fictional woman who bravely breaks through all the obstacles in her life experience and grows into a strong-willed and independent-minded new woman. Thus, this thesis analyzes the novel Breaking Night as female Bildungsroman and mainly centers on the protagonist’s journey toward maturity and some influential factors which exert great influence on her road to maturity.
The thesis consists of six parts. The introduction presents the novel and the critical studies on Liz Murray and Breaking Night. Chapter two introduces the definition of female Bildungsroman as well as features of this literary genre. Chapters three and four track down the protagonist’s journey from adolescence to maturity. Chapter five centers on her achievements. The Conclusion part clarifies the objective, the findings as well as the significance of the thesis.
Key Words: Breaking Night, female Bildungsroman, maturity
摘要
利兹被公认为当代美国最伟大的女性之一。她的畅销书《风雨哈佛路》讲述了一个勇气、生存和克服困难的真实故事。她的名字代表着坚强的毅力和刻苦的精神。
简言之，成长小说是一个年轻男子或女子的个人发展历程。小说《风雨哈佛路》讲述了主人公利兹个人成长的经历和对自我身份与成功的追求。作者成功地刻画了一个女人勇敢地冲破一切障碍，成长为一个意志坚强和独立的新女性。因此，本论文从女性成长经历小说角度分析了《风雨哈佛路》，探讨了女主人公不断走向成熟的人生旅程和影响她成熟的一些主要因素。
本论文由751个部分组成。第一章介绍了小说《风雨哈佛路》和对利兹以及小说的批评研究。第二章介绍了女性成长小说这一文学体裁的定义及其特征。第三章和第四章论述了女主人公从少年到成熟的蜕变。第五章探讨了她的女性成就。结论部分阐明了本论文的研究目的、研究结果以及研究意义。6508
关键词：《风雨哈佛路》, 女性成长小说，成长
CONTENTS
Acknowledgementsi
Abstractii
摘要.iii

1 Introduction.1
2 The Necessary Elements for Female Bildungsroman.4
2.1 Definition of Female Bildungsroman.....4
2.2 Features of Female Bildungsroman....4
2.2.1 Growth Environment.5
2.2.2 Woman’s Personal Traits.6

3 Liz Murray’s Growth Environment.8
3.1 Life...8
3.1.1 Torment in Her Childhood.9
3.1.2 The Impact of Her Mother’s Death9
3.2 Education..10

4 Personal Traits Influencing Liz Murray’s Maturity..12
4.1 Training of the Super Willpower..12
4.2 Talent and Hard Work14

5 Achievements.15
5.1 Marked Inpiduality..15
5.2 Female Triumph.15

6 Conclusion....17

Bibliography.18
 
1 Introduction
Liz Murray’s New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling memoir Breaking Night was released in September 2010. Countless readers around the world have been moved by this inspirational realistic story, which encourages young people to chase their dream consistently.

Murray was born in the Bronx, New York on September 23, 1980. Her poor and drug-addicted parents would later each contract HIV. She became homeless just after she turned 15, when her mother died of AIDS and her father moved to a homeless shelter. Murray fought through some significantly difficult circumstances and was finally able to turn her life around when she began to attend the Humanities Preparatory Academy in Chelsea, Manhattan. Though she started high school later than most students, and remained without a stable home while supporting herself and her sister, Murray passed all courses and graduated in only two years. Liz Murray finished high school and won a full New York Times scholarship while homeless, and graduated in excellent GPA from Harvard University in 2009. In August 2009, she began taking graduate courses at Harvard Summer School and would like to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology to counsel people from all walks of life. She has been awarded The White House Project Role Model Award, a Christopher Award, as well as the Chutzpah Award. Lifetime Television produced a film about Liz’s life—Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Now, she delivers motivational speeches around the world and workshops to inspire others. Liz is the founder and director of Manifest Trainings, a New York-based company that encourages adults to make their dream come true and more creative. 从女性成长小说元素解读《风雨哈佛路》:http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_4095.html