Rethinking Heroism: A Polyphonic Bildungsroman in Bardugo’s Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom

Abstract

The figure of the hero in Young Adult fantasy has undergone a profound transformation, shifting from the morally upright protagonist in the Bildungsroman to an increasingly complex antihero. While earlier research discussed the evolution of the Bildungsroman from Victorian to modernist forms, few studies have analysed how Young Adult fantasy merges with heteroglossia and polyphony to challenge singular moral authority. This dissertation’s main objective is to investigate how Bardugo’s use of multiplicity of voices fragments the characters’ growth trajectory and complicates Kaz Brekker’s morality as an antihero. The insights gathered from in-depth textual analysis and literary theory demonstrate that polyphony broadens the scope of the Bildungsroman by combining its Victorian and modernist characteristics, destabilising the boundaries between heroism and villainy. The findings reveal that Bardugo contributes to broader literary discussion by revealing how Young Adult fantasy reimagines the Bildungsroman as a space of collective growth and moral ambiguity.