Bom Boy by Yewande Omotoso is written in the genre known as Bildungsroman. However, it presents itself in the form of a dissensual Bildungsroman. Peiker (2015) states that "a key difference between the plot of the dissensual and traditional Bildungsroman is that a finite Bildung, the essential component of the traditional Bildungsroman, is virtually impossible in the dissensual version in which the novel does not end with the protagonist. initiation into society. Instead, Peiker (2015) further asserts that "the protagonist's efforts to find his place in contemporary society are either met with explicit failure or before the protagonist's valuable learning reaches its conclusion." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe 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, melancholy attachment, superstition and myth. Leke Denton fails to meet our expectations as the protagonist of a traditional Bildungsroman by 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 it was there when the girls looked away as he walked down the halls. An invisible rash. The word "rash" suggests something that is uncomfortable and that people don't necessarily want. If a person has a rash, people don't want to be near that person for fear of getting the same rash. Therefore, with Leke feeling like he has a rash, he emits an aura of disgust that implies he has difficulty connecting with people and is shy. Additionally, Leke is labeled as a "cardboard boy", meaning that Leke is like cardboard that is thrown away and "a child for hire", implying that Leke is something temporary and not to be “bought to be kept”. Thus, he is alienated and not accepted in his community; these characteristics are typical of a protagonist in the early traditional Bildungsroman. Unlike the growth of a protagonist in a traditional Bildungsroman experience, we do not get a clear indication that Leke has grown or progressed over time. When the Babalawo says that Leke has "baby eyes", this suggests that although Leke is an adult, he is not yet fully mature because some parts of him are still childish. The novel therefore ends with some uncertainty as Omotoso describes Leke as "not talking, shifting gears, picking up speed", mentioning that "after prolonged previous years of cold and wet, he enjoys the sensation of sun on his face. The acceleration indicates that Leke is running away and not facing his problems and the "sun on his face" also gives us a sense 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 complete as in the traditional Bildungsroman. The light (the sun) has yet to reach his entire body. This unclear ending therefore dissensualizes the Bildungsroman. In the same spirit, Omotoso uses a second protagonist who is not a feature of the traditional Bildungsroman, thus dissensualizing the Bildungsroman. Oscar is a foil for Leke and this implies that even as Leke gets older, he may continue to be rejected because hismixed race and his transnationalism make him “the other”. This completely removes the promise of reconciliation from the traditional Bildungsroman. Oscar highlights his Nigerianness by saying, “I was Nigerian after all.” He places great importance on Moremi, a Yoruba queen unlike Rhodes. However, he feels rejected and isolated as his co-workers pay no attention and make no effort to understand Moremi or his heritage, as Omotoso says that "the ignorance of his lab mates mixed with the opulence of Rhodes."The memorial [arouses] Oscar's disgust," suggesting that they are rejecting his heritage and thus making him feel isolated. Additionally, Leke's internal conflicts are not fully resolved by the end of the novel like that of a traditional protagonist would be. First, the internal conflict with her relationship with her adoptive parents will be explored. Omotoso says: "Leke's heart was pounding as he sat on Marcus... He [wished] Jane would come and break it up, but they had left her in the garden." Although Leke loves his adoptive father, the fact that he wants Jane to break up this interaction suggests that he feels a sense of distance around him. On the other hand, the relationship with Jane, his adoptive mother, is different. He feels comforted and comfortable around her, but she also leaves him after his death when his real parents left him. In a traditional setting, the protagonist accepts such tragedies, but Leke's case is different. He steals things from Jane and after her death he thinks they are "like a gift that Jane meant to give him but forgot to", suggesting that Leke is not really getting over Jane's death. Jane and uses the things he takes as reason why I still care about Jane. As the novel progresses, Leke enters adulthood, as Omotoso puts it, "transitions like an amphibian into uncomfortable adulthood." The comparison here suggests that Leke underwent a metamorphosis as a young adult. The word amphibian comes from the Greek word amphibios which means living a double life, which suggests that Leke is leading a double life. Second, Leke's internal conflict with the letters he receives from his real father is also not resolved. The narrator explains that "if he accepts the envelope, he will finally know for sure who his real parents are." Leke tried to read the letters in the envelope but with his “[cloud] eyes”. He places the envelope “against his chest”. The fact that Leke does not want to open the letters immediately suggests that he fears the engagement. The letters represent a world he does not know and so he feels anxious. Leke also has the habit of carrying the envelope with him and constantly checking if it is still there. This further highlights that Leke wants to know who his real parents are but is afraid of going into the unknown. Another example is the way he treats Red, Jane's old car: "When he [leaves] to work in the morning, on foot, he opens the left doors so that when he gets home, he [goes] feels] as if she [was extending her hand to him with a welcome hug.” This particular behavior indicates that the car becomes a substitute for Jane. Leke's melancholy attachment to Jane and the letters suggests his refusal to abandon the "old" and fully embrace the "new," which undermines the teleological conception of the idealistic Bildungsroman, thereby dissensualizing it. a certain model, they need 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 a South African mother. Therefore, he »..