Introduction to Literature

II

Gul Aizaz
Department of English
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan
About the Word “Novel”

 The term novel is a truncation of the Italian

word novella (from the plural of
Latin novellus, a late variant of novus,
meaning “new”)
 So, the term “Novel” means “new“.
Definition of Novel

 1. A prose narrative that is usually long and

complex and deals especially with human
experience through a usually connected
sequence of events.
 2. A novel is a narrative work of prose
fiction that tells a story about specific human
experiences over a considerable length.
Definition of Novel
Cont…
 A novel is a piece of long narrative in literary
prose. Narrative prose is meant to entertain
and tell a story. It is a description of a chain of
events which includes a cast of characters, a
setting, and an ending. Most publishers
prefer novels that are in the 80,000- to
120,000-word range.
Novel as a Literary Genre

 Genre refers to a style or category of art,

music, or literature.
 The novel is a sub-genre of fiction that has its
own conventions, elements and
characteristics.
 (Fiction is based on the imagination, the subject matter
in fiction works can be nearly anything. Fiction can take
place in the present day, the future, or the past. It can
incorporate the most fantastical ideas or follow an
everyday life.)
Characteristics of Novel

 The following traits must be present for a

work to be considered a novel:
 Written in prose, as opposed to verse.
Narrators may have different degrees of
knowledge or different points of view (first
person versus third person and so on). While
stylized novels such as epistolary novels do
exist, the key distinction here is between
prose and verse.
Characteristics of Novel
Cont…
 Of considerable length/word count. There is no specific word count that
automatically makes a work a novel, but in general, a short novel would be
considered a novella, and even shorter than that would be short fiction.
 Fictional content. Semi-fictionalized novels (such as historical works inspired by
true events or persons) exist, but a work of pure non-fiction would not be
classified as a novel.
 Individualism, both on the page and for the intended audience.
Types of Novel
 Mystery Novel
 Mystery novels revolve around a crime that must be solved, often a murder but
not always. The traditional format will have a detective—either professional or
amateur—as the protagonist, surrounded by a group of characters who help solve
the crime or are suspects. Over the course of the story, the detective will sift
through clues, including false leads and red herrings, to solve the case. Some of
the best-known novels of all time fall into the mystery genre, including the Nancy
Drew and Hardy Boys series, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Science Fiction and Fantasy
 One of the more popular genres of novels is science fiction and fantasy, which
both deal with speculative world building. The lines between the two are often
blurred, but in general, science fiction tends to imagine a world that’s different
because of technology, while fantasy imagines a world with magic. Early science
fiction included the works of Jules Verne and continued on through George
Orwell’s seminal classics such as 1984; contemporary science fiction is a highly
popular genre. Some of the best-known novels in Western literature are fantasy
novels, including the Lord of the Rings series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry
Potter; they owe their debt to European epic literature.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Gothic /Horror/thriller Novel
 Thriller novels are occasionally combined with other genres, most often with
mystery or science fiction. The defining characteristic is that these novels are
often designed to induce a sense of fear, suspense, or psychological horror in the
reader. Early versions of this genre included The Count of Monte Cristo (a revenge
thriller) and Heart of Darkness (a psychological/horror thriller). More
contemporary examples might be the novels of Stephen King.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Romance Novel
 Romance novels of the present day have some things in common with
“romances” of the past: the idea of romantic love as an end goal, the occasional
scandal, intense emotions at the center of it all. Today’s romances, however, are
more specifically focused on telling a story of a romantic and/or love between
characters. They often follow highly specific structures and are all but required to
have an optimistic or “happy” resolution.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Historical Novel
 Just like its name suggests, historical fiction is simply a fictional story that takes
place at some real, past time in human history. Some instances of historical
fiction involve fictional (or semi-fictional) stories about actual historical figures,
while others insert wholly original characters into real-life events. Iconic works of
historical fiction include Ivanhoe, A Tale of Two Cities, Gone with the Wind, and The
Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Realist Fiction
 Realist fiction is, quite simply, fiction that eschews heightened genre or style to
attempt to tell a story that “could” take place in the world as we know it. The
focus is on representing things truthfully, without romanticization or artistic
flourishes. Some of the best-known realist authors include Mark Twain, John
Steinbeck, and George Eliot.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Picaresque Novel:
         A picaresque novel  relates the adventures of an eccentric or disreputable
hero in episodic form. The genre gets its name from the Spanish word picaro, or
"rogue."
 Examples: Rudyard Kipling's Kim (1901), Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones
 Regional Novel:
         A religious novel is a novel that is set against the background of a particular
area.
 Examples: Novels of Charles Dickens George Eliot etc.
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Epistolary Novel:
                                 Epistolary fiction is a popular genre where the narrative is told via a
series of documents. The word epistolary comes from Latin where ‘epistola’ means
a letter. Letters are the most common basis for epistolary novels but diary entries
are also popular.
 Examples:
Samuel Richardson’s Pamela and Clarissa, Bram Stoker’s Dracula
 Autobiographical Novel:
                                 An autobiographical novel is a novel based on the life of the author.
 Examples: Charles Dickens’ David Coppefield, Great Expectations, D. H.
Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Satirical Novel:
                                 Satire is loosely defined as art that ridicules a specific topic in order to
provoke readers into changing their opinion of it. By attacking what they see as
human folly, satirists usually imply their own opinions on how the thing being
attacked can be improved.
 Examples: George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travel, 
 Allegorical Novel:
                                 An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- surface meaning
and symbolic meaning. The symbolic meaning of an allegory can be political or
religious, historical or philosophical.
 Examples: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress , William Golding's The Lord of the Flies
Types of Novel (Cont…)
 Novella:
                                 A novella is a short, narrative, prose fiction. As a literary genre,
the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the Italians and
the French. As the etymology suggests, novellas originally were news of town
and country life worth repeating for amusement and edification.
 Examples: Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
Elements of Novel
 Plot- the series of events which make up the story, traditionally, conflict,
climax, denouement, and conclusion
 Setting- the place, the time, and the social circumstances of the work.
 Tone- The general attitude of the author toward the characters or the subject
matter of the book.
 Characters- the sentient or non-sentient beings alive or dead who are the actors
of the events
 Theme- one or more direct or indirect statements about the human condition as
evidenced through the work as a whole
 Point of View- perspective from which a work is told, 1st, 3rd ; omniscient, limited

 (For more details, please read the provided notes.)

Types of Characters
 Protagonist: The main character of the story is the protagonist. They should be
carefully crafted with a logical backstory, personal motivation, and a character
arc over the course of the story. Often the story will be told from their point of
view.
 Antagonist: The villain of the story is the antagonist.
Types of Characters (Cont…)
 Confidant: This type of character is the best friend or sidekick of the protagonist,
the Sancho Panza to their Don Quixote. Often the protagonist's goal flows
through the confidant—although not every story needs one.
 Tertiary characters: Tertiary characters populate the world of the story but do
not necessarily link to the main storyline. These minor characters serve any
number of functions and may have varying degrees of personal dynamism.
Types of Characters (Cont…)
 Foil: A foil character primarily exists to bring the protagonist’s qualities into
sharper relief. This is because the foil is effectively the opposite of the
protagonist. In the Star Trek series, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock serve as each
other’s foils since their personalities are so notably different. Draco Malfoy is a
foil to Harry Potter.
Types of Characters (Cont…)
 Dynamic character: A dynamic character is one who changes over
the course of the story. As such, a dynamic character makes the best
protagonist. In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both
Huck and Jim are dynamic characters.
 Round character: Closely related to a dynamic character, a round
character is a major character who shows fluidity and the capacity for
change from the moment we meet them. By contrast, some dynamic
protagonists do not change until actions in the story force that
change. Round characters can be noble, like Konstantin Levin in Anna
Karenina, or morally dubious, like Humbert Humbert in Lolita.
Types of Characters (Cont…)
 Static character: A static character does not noticeably
change over the course of a story. Sometimes known as
a flat character, these characters often play tertiary
roles in a narrative with a fixed set of personality traits.
 Symbolic character: A symbolic character represents a
concept or theme larger than themselves. They may
have dynamic qualities, but they also exist to subtly
steer an audience’s mind toward broader concepts.
Most are supporting characters, but some stories have
symbolic protagonists, such as Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.
Types of Point of View
 There are three primary types of point of view:
 First person point of view:
 In first person point of view, one of the characters is narrating the
story. This is generally revealed by the “I” sentence construction
and relies on first person pronouns. (“I went to work.”) The reader
assumes that this character is closely related to the story’s action
—either a main character or someone close to the protagonist.
First person narrative can provide intimacy and a deeper look into
a character’s mind, but it is also limited by the perceptive abilities
of the character. They are confined to report only what they
would realistically know about the story, and they are further
confined by their own perspective.
Types of Point of View
Cont…
 Second person point of view.
 Second person point of view is structured around the “you” pronoun, and is less
common in novel-length work. (“You thought you could do it.”)
 Second person can allow you to draw your reader into the story and make them
feel like they’re part of the action because the narrator is speaking directly to
them. Writing in second person for any great length is a challenge, and will
stretch your writing skills. Lorrie Moore is well-known for her innovative use of
second person narration in her short story collection Self-Help (1985).
Types of Point of View
Cont…

 Third person point of view.

 The author is narrating a story about the
characters and refers to them with the third
person pronouns “he/she.” (“He was
hungry.”) This point of view is subdivided
into third person omniscient and third person
limited.
What Is the Difference Between Third Person
Omniscient and Third Person Limited?

 The omniscient narrator knows everything about the story

and its characters. This third person narrator can enter
anyone’s mind, move freely through time, and give the
reader their own opinions and observations as well as those
of the characters.
 This narrator also knows more than the characters—think of
the omniscient narrator as having a god’s-eye-view of the
characters.
 (“He had been infected with the virus, but he didn’t know it
yet.”)
What Is the Difference Between Third Person
Omniscient and Third Person Limited? (Cont…)

 The third person limited point of view (often called a “close third”) is
when an author sticks closely to one character but remains in third
person. This style gives you the ability to be inside a character’s
thoughts, feelings, and sensations, which can give readers a deeper
experience of character and scene. (“As she watched him leave, she was
afraid he’d never come back.”)
 Ernest Hemingway is known for his use of a very direct style of third
person narration.
Types of Point of View (Cont..)
Dramatic Point of View

 Also known as ‘objective narration’, dramatic point of view is when the

narrator reports the events of a scene without getting inside characters’
private thoughts or feelings. Like a neutral camera without personal
feelings, this narration simply records sense data (such as movement,
sound, objects, appearances). This leaves the reader to guess what
characters may feel.
 This viewpoint is also often called ‘fly-on-the-wall’ narration. Like a fly
sitting on a wall, it simply ‘takes everything in’ and presents us with what
an impartial fly might see.
Some Literary Devices Used in
Novels
 What are literary devices?
 Literary devices are techniques that writers use to express
their ideas and enhance their writing.
 Allegory
 An allegory is a type of narrative that uses characters and plot
to depict abstract ideas and themes. In an allegorical story,
things represent more than they appear to on the surface.
 Simile
 A simile draws resemblance between two things by saying
“Thing A is like Thing B,” or “Thing A is as [adjective] as Thing
B.”
Some Literary Devices Used in Novels
(Cont…)
 Metaphor
 A metaphor compares two similar things by saying that one of
them is the other
 Imagery
 Imagery appeals to readers’ senses through highly descriptive language.
 Symbolism
 Authors turn to tangible symbols to represent abstract concepts and
ideas in their stories  Symbols typically derive from objects or non-
human — for instance, a dove might represent peace, or raven might
represent death.
Some Literary Devices Used in Novels
(Cont…)
 Flashback
 Flashbacks to previous events split up present-day scenes in a story, usually to
build suspense toward a big reveal. Flashbacks are also an interesting way to
present exposition for your story, gradually revealing to the reader what
happened in the past.
 Foreshadowing
 Foreshadowing is when the author hints at events yet to come in a story. Similar
to flashbacks (and often used in conjunction with them), this technique is also
used to create tension or suspense — giving readers just enough breadcrumbs to
keep them hungry for more.
Some Literary Devices Used in Novels
(Cont…)
 Motif
 Whatever form a motif takes, it recurs
throughout the novel and helps develop the
theme of the narrative. This might be a symbol,
concept, or image.
 Juxtaposition
 Juxtaposition places two or more dissimilar
characters, themes, concepts, etc. side by side,
and the profound contrast highlights their
differences.
Some Literary Devices Used in Novels
(Cont…)
 Irony
 Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations
reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true.
 There are three basic kinds of irony: verbal,
dramatic, and situational. In verbal, the gap is between what is stated
and what is intended; in dramatic, between what a character believes to
be true and what readers – and possibly other characters – know to be
true; in situational, between what the character, or the reader, expects to
happen and what actually happens in the story.
Thank you