Why is The Sorrow of Belgium also considered a bildungsroman?

The Sorrow of Belgium (Het verdriet van België) is considered a bildungsroman because it chronicles the formative years and psychological development of a wayward adolescent who ultimately decides to become a writer.1

A bildungsroman—a term derived from the German words for "education" and "novel"—typically focuses on a protagonist's coming-of-age, tracking their moral education and growth through their youth. In the case of Hugo Claus’s masterpiece, the narrative draws upon the author's own experiences during the Nazi occupation of Belgium. While the novel provides a critical, unflattering portrait of a Flemish collaborationist family during and after World War II, it simultaneously functions as a classic coming-of-age story centered on the young protagonist's journey toward self-discovery and his eventual commitment to his craft as a writer.231