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Bakhtin, M.M. (1986) The Bildungsroman and Its Significance in the History of Realism. In: Emerson, C. and Holquist, M., Eds., Speech Genres and Other Late Essays, University of Texas Press, 10-59.
https://doi.org/10.7560/720466-004

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Vasilisa, Kikimora, and Baba Yaga: The Mystical Bildungsroman of Ballerina

  AUTHORS: Wei Wei

  KEYWORDS: Ballerina, Bildungsroman, Mysticism, Metamorphosis, Conversion, Slavic Mythology

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Access Library Journal, Vol.12 No.12, December 19, 2025

  ABSTRACT: As the first female-led spinoff in the John Wick cinematic universe, Ballerina (2025) grounds its narrative structure in the mythological traditions of Slavic folklore. Approaching the film through the mystical dimensions of the Bildungsroman, this study examines how the film transforms the narrative structure of the classic Russian fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” and analyzes in depth how the protagonist Eve Macarro achieves spiritual transformation through the triple archetypes of Vasilisa (the initiate), Kikimora (the shape-shifter), and Baba Yaga (the tester). The study reveals that the film presents a model of maturation distinct from the classical Bildungsroman: the protagonist does not achieve maturity through socialization and adaptation, but rather through spiritual rebirth via metamorphosis and conversion in the mystical sense. By integrating William James’s theory of conversion, Jung’s alchemical psychology, and Propp’s theory of initiation rites, this article illuminates how contemporary popular culture reactivates ancient mythological archetypes, offering an alternative possibility for narratives of growth that transcends the paradigm of social adaptation.