Introduction To The Novel

LITERARY GENRES THE NOVEL 1LMD
INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL
A novel is a type of book. It is most typically taken to be a long piece of narrative fiction.
Written prose, historically turned towards folk tales, myths, and epics, is now being used to
tell all sorts of stories about ourselves. In this lesson, we will deal with the novel, its
elements, genres and structure.
1. Definition of the novel:

We may say that the novel must contain a single narrative, but the novel has been known to
break out of this restriction in many ways. We may demand the novel to be fiction, but many
authors have woven reality and history into their novels for many reasons. We may ask that a
novel be a prose narrative, but novels that contain rhythmic structure exist. But in general the
novel is a book, between one hundred and one thousand pages long, that tells a single story.
The best way to form a sense of the novel is to read one. Through varied exposure to novels
you will begin to understand their shape and structure. Our work for this year, is the novel of
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2. Types of Novel
The term genre is generally used to describe fiction that has certain expectations and
conventions. Genre novels must follow the styles, and conventions of their category in order
to meet readers’ expectations. For example, readers of mysteries assume any novel in that
genre will start with a crime or threat of a crime, provide clues and possible motives
throughout the story, and conclude with a resolution of the problem, i.e., the criminal being
brought to justice.
Readers of romance expect to encounter a hero and heroine who feel intensely attracted to
each other, undergo some sort of conflict that complicates their relationship, and resolve that
complication so the romance can flourish (and often result in marriage).
In order to understand the conventions of each genre, you should read several books in that
category and note the similar structures, plot devices, and character types within them.
Like short stories, there are many genres of novels. They include mysteries, thrillers,
suspense, detective, science fiction, romantic, historical, realist or even postmodern.
3. Structure of a Novel :
Many of the terms associated with short stories are also used in novels, particularly setting,
characterization, plot, and theme. The difference between a novel and a short story is in the
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length and complexity of the narrative. Novels are longer and more complex than short
stories; therefore, they take several sittings to read in their entirety.
Just like the short story, the essential elements of a novel include chapters, characters, such
as a protagonist and antagonist, dialogue, point of view, theme, setting, and plot.
First, let’s address what a chapter is. Chapter divisions are an author’s means of organizing
the major events and developments in your novel and provide easy transitions in time, place,
or point of view. Many writers and agents like to have a cliffhanger at the end of every
chapter that keeps people reading and on the edge of their seat. What and how much goes
into a chapter is up to you.
Changing scenes within a chapter can be accomplished by a simple paragraph change, using
a transition phrase like The next morning she … Or it can be accomplished by leaving blank
lines between paragraphs, a technique especially helpful when the scene change also
involves a change in viewpoint.
Characterization is one of many important elements of fiction. As we explained in the short

story, a character is a participant in the story. Some examples of characters are protagonist
and antagonist. The protagonist is the main character of a story, the one the author spends the
most time exploring or developing and the one whose conflict moves the plot along.
Sometimes the protagonist can also be the story’s first-person narrator. The antagonist is the
character who opposes the protagonist, or the hero and provides the story’s conflict.
Dialogue is an essential element of fiction and, to some degree, memoir. Dialogue consists
of conversations between two or more people, and can be used heavily or sparsely.
A good dialogue positively affects pacing—makes a novel easier to read by relieving the
reader from long descriptive passages—it also effectively characterizes and adds to the
reality of the speakers. Dialogue can also take the place of long character descriptions
because what a character says about himself/herself and how a character speaks about others
should give clues to his/her personality, emotions, attitudes, opinions, and desires. In
addition to reveling character, good dialogue must also advance the plot by giving
information that heightens conflict or by building tension between characters.
Plotting is just storytelling with extra attention to form. The story is a sequence of events;
the plot is the larger change that happens through those events. You can identify a plot by a
change: your protagonist’s circumstances change over the course of the novel.
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The two dimensions of the plot are the action plot, which is the change in circumstances, and
the emotional plot, which is the character logical or emotional change for the protagonist.
A point of view refers to the perspective from which the story is told. There are three
additional points of view—first-person narration, third-person omniscient and third-person
limited.
In first-person narration, the narrator—often the protagonist—tells the story from his/her
perspective, and the information given to the readers is filtered through this character. Some
examples of books with first-person narration are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by
Mark Twain, and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger.
In third-person omniscient, the story is narrated by an all-knowing voice that does not belong
to any one character but instead gives readers access to the thoughts, feelings, and
motivations of all characters. The narrator refers to the characters using third-person
pronouns. An example of this is in the books The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest
Hemingway.
Finally, a third-person point of view is a story narrated by a removed voice that does not
belong to any one character but focuses on a single character and only gives the readers
access to the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of that focused character. The narrator
refers to the characters using third-person pronouns. An example of this is Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck.
Another element is the theme, which is the point a writer wishes to make. It poses a
question—a human problem.
Lastly, a setting is the time and location in which a story takes place. The location and time
frame of your story is more than just a stage for your characters. In some cases, the setting
becomes a character itself. And the entire attendant details—societal conventions, seashores,
mountains, regional dialects—determine the overall tone.

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LITERARY GENRES THE NOVEL 1LMD

INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL

1. Definition of the novel:

Characterization is one of many important elements of fiction. As we explained in the short

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