Bildungsroman in Jane Austen’s Emma and Charles Dickens’s Great Expecta-tions: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The term ‘comparative literature’ is difficult to define for it evolves not only two or even more than two literatures in comparison at the same time. It is a difficult task for a critic or comparatist to compare two different treaties as they have different facets such as linguistic, cultural, religious, economic, social and historical.
‘Literature Comparee', the French term for ‘Comparative Literature’ first emerged in France around 19th century. Susan Bassnett espouses that most of the scholars who have trav-elled, “Towards it from different points of departure” have not come to meet at a definite point. They have explored various contrasting perspectives. In short, critics have not arrived at a fixed norm but rather work-ing towards enriching literary comparison by fresh and more developed theories. Etymologically, the term comparative literature denotes any literary work or works when compared with any other literary work. Hence, comparative literature is the study of two or more than two significant literary treaties or literatures in the light of the sources upon which they are based such as themes, myths, forms, artistic strategies, social and religious movements and trends into consideration.