The violent Buildungsroman

The question of whether or not the Violent Bear it away is a buildungsroman novel is a hard one for me to answer. To me the point of this novel was to disturb people. It seemed to be a novel made to make people aware of the insanity that some families can be forced to live with as well as the insanity that can only be brought about in a person by something infinite, and ultimately powerful. By that I mean religion in general. The novel illustrates how someone can be driven so far into insanity (whether they were already insane before or not) to the point that they could not control themselves, or function as a normal human being, all by the belief in their religion. They see themselves as the only true prophets of their times, and the only person with the will to go the distance. This novel focuses on Christianity but I believe it is symbolic of all religions and the power they can possess in a persons mind. Now with that in mind the questions remains; "is this a buildungsroman novel?" Well in the traditional sense I do not think so since the novel seemed to focus more on relationships than the development of any one character, however, it may be considered a buildungsroman in the religious sense. In the development of the characters religious beliefs in contrast to their growth in the world, however twisted it may be it can be seen as a buildungsroman. The characters, old Tarwater included, all are forced to come to terms with the way the religion is being treated in the world, as well as what it really means to them, and in that sense it most certainly is a buildungsroman.