Aspects of the Novel

What is a novel?
People generally see a novel (from Italian novella (‘little new thing’) or French nouvelle for
‘new’/’news’) as a book that tells a story. Another definitions is that a novel is a long prose,
narrative, meaning a rather long piece of prose (60,000 or more words) which tells a fictional
story (story that has been made up). This story is very realistic and contains a plot, characters,
has a central theme/themes, a setting/settings, and often reveals the writer’s philosophy of life. It
is told from a point of view/different points of view. Every novel has a title. The writer or author
of a novel is called a novelist. There are different genres (particular types) of novels.

The Plot
It is helpful to find the plot of a novel by asking these questions: Why did it happen? / Why is
this happening? / What is going to happen next? / Why?. The plot is the connection of events
through cause and effect: the story unfolds because one thing happens after another and this
causes another action, and so on, until a solution or explanation is reached. So, the plot is made
up by the events, actions and things which happen, are done or suffered in the story. The plot is
presented as a series of related events. Elements of the plot are:
1. Exposition. The information presented at the beginning of the story, when the author
presents the essential details needed to understand the story.
2. Complication. The catalyst (= action / event / situation ) that causes the story to enfold.
The author introduces a problem / conflict* that might / might not be resolved.
3. Climax. The turning point and the highest point/peak in the story that takes place when
characters try to resolve the complication. Here the reader’s interest is at its highest.
4. Resolution. The set of events that bring the story to its close / conclusion.

*conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces. These forces are called protagonist and
antagonist. The protagonist is the main character in the story and is necessarily a likeable
character or hero. The antagonist may have different forms: another person; a force of nature;
fate; society; the protagonist himself.

The Characters
The characters in the story are the people who play a part in it. These characters represent certain
persons, made up by the novelist, based on his imagination and/or real life. They are somehow
recognizable men and women. Characters can be categorized based on their role in the story and
on their character (the way they are). Based on their role you find a main character (or main
characters), also known as the protagonist(s) and minor characters. There are flat and round
characters, static (unchanging) and dynamic (changing) characters.

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The main character / protagonist: this is the most important character in the story.
The minor characters: these characters have minor roles in the story.
Flat characters (one-dimensional): these are characters which are not very much described in
detail in the story. They are dominated by a single quality or idea and remain so throughout the
whole story. It is easy to describe a flat character: their description fits into a few words or one
sentence.
Round characters (multi-dimensional): these are complex characters, much like in reality. It is
hard to describe them in a few words, as they are made up of various qualities and the reader
constantly learns more about these qualities as the story unfolds. The reader might get the feeling
that he knows these characters very well.
Static characters: they do not change during the story.
Dynamic characters: they change throughout the story.
Round characters can be static, so the author presents the different facets of their personality, but
they remain so throughout the story. Or they can be dynamic, so they change throughout the
story. Or they can be dynamic, so they change throughout the story. The protagonist is not
necessarily a round dynamic character, nor are minor characters necessarily flat or static.
How do you get to know a character?
The author might use:
1. Appearance. The way the character looks like (physical traits).
2. Dialogue. Characters speak to/with each other in the story. Through this dialogue or
speech between characters we can learn much about them and the reasons for their
actions in the story.
3. Attire. How does the character dress?
4. Actions. How does the character act/react in situations?
5. Opinions/Point of View. How does the character think about certain things/persons?
6. Thoughts. What does the character think?
The theme
The theme of a novel is its central idea which may be stated directly or indirectly. Examples of
themes are jealousy, love, or racism. The theme can also be a view about life e.g. crime does not
pay or love overcomes all. A story can have more than one theme.
The Setting (the Where and When)
The story must take place somewhere and at some time: these make up the setting. The setting
often also has an influence on the story: take for example a horror story taking place in a dark,
old castle in the Middle Ages. The setting may be directly mentioned or may be reconstructed
from information provided in the book. For example, a novel that deal with steam engines cannot
be taking place in the 21st century in South America.

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Point of View
This is the author’s method of telling the story. There are different types of point of view:
1. First person point of view. A character in the story, who experienced the events
him/herself or may be reflecting on the experience, tells the story, using the I-form. In
this case the narrator might not be telling the truth, but only in the way he/she sees things.
2. Third person omniscient point of view. The narrator knows what is going on inside and
outside the characters at all times. He knows all their actions, motives, thoughts and
feelings.
3. Third person limited point of view. The narrator knows the actions, motives, thoughts
and feelings of only one character.
4. Objective point of view. The narrator tells about what actions and dialogue takes place,
so what can be seen on the outside, but not what the characters think or feel.
The Writer’s Philosophy of Life
Every novelist, directly or indirectly, presents in his novel a certain philosophy or view of life
and its problems. He represents incidents, characters etc. in such a way that reflect his way of
seeing the world and life with its problems. When reading a novel, it might be helpful to look up
some background information on the author to assist in understanding this.

The Title
A writer gives his novel a title that is somehow related to the story. Some titles are rather straight
forward, eg. Jane Eyre is a novel about a girl about Jane Eyre. Other titles may need more
thinking about to find the explanation, since they may be symbolic or can be understood only
after having read the book.

Genres of the Novel

1. Commercial Fiction
This is perhaps the broadest of all literary genres and works for categorizing a novel if it doesn’t
fit anywhere else. Most commercial fiction is plot-driven with characters who represent the
protagonist and the antagonist. A commercial fiction novel is highly entertaining and of mass
commercial appeal.

2. Literary Fiction
Literary Fiction is a broad literary genre that encompasses novels of mass appeal that are
character- rather than plot-driven. Writers of literary fiction examine all aspects of the human
condition during the writing of their novels. While the plots of literary fiction novels must be

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unique and creative, the reader is more entranced by the characters and their situations. Literary
fiction often deals with controversial issues which are interwoven with the plot.
Within these 2 categories, there are several genres. One novel may belong to several of these
categories at the same time. The following list is not intended to sum up all genres, but rather to
show the variety of types:
1. Epistolary novels take the form of letters written between characters eg. The Color
Purple by Alice Walker.
2. Regional novels are based on the settings, focusing on life in a certain area eg. Sons and
Lovers by D.H. Lawrence.
3. Propaganda novels try to convince the reader to adopt a certain point of view eg. Uncle
Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
4. Picaresque novels describe the adventures of rogues (persons behaving badly but not
evilly) eg. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe.
5. Gothic novels are set in the 18th or 19th century and describe ghosts and other elements of
the supernatural eg. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
6. Science-fiction novels portray other worlds or other possibilities for our world eg. Brave
New World by Aldous Huxley.
7. Fantasy novels deal with the fantastical: faraway places, mystical lands and fictional
creatures eg. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
8. Detective novels focus on crime mysteries eg. All Agatha Chrisie’s novels.
9. Social novels focus on the outward behavior of characters and how other characters react.
One such novel is the novel of manners, which is concerned with subtle nuances of behavior
and standards of correctness, usually in upper-class life. They describe small encounters
and use insights from these incidents to make generalizations that apply to humanity as a
whole eg. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
10. Psychological novels explore the inner workings of an individual’s mind eg. Native Son
by Richard Wright.
11. Education novels recount a person’s development as an individual. Eg. A Brighter Sun by
Samuel Selvon.
12. Philosophical novels explore intellectual or philosophical questions eg. Lord of the Flies
by William Golding.
13. Chick Lit are books primarily for women and focus on the common problems women face
– such as dating, horror stories and career foibles – usually with a humorous perspective
or twist. Chick lit is always light, airy and entertaining. eg. Bridget Jones’Diary by Helen
Fielding.
14. Historical novels deal with plots and characters set in the past eg. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter
Scott
15. Horror novels are based on one principle: it must scare the reader. Some horror novels
focus on the supernatural while others deal with more realistic villains: serial killers, rapists
and snipers. Horror does not have to be filled with blood and guts, as many of the horror
novels written in recent years are more firmly rooted in the psychological aspects of murder
and mayhem. Examples include Stephen King’s novels.

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 16. Romance novels: Love, loss, regret and sex are the main criteria for a romance novel.
These stories focus on the love trysts between men and women who are caught in
circumstances they cannot control eg. Circle of Love by Soecy Gummels.
17. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller novels are designed to keep the reader on the edge of his
or her seat. Often, thrillers deal with crime or supernatural occurences, but the basis of the
plot is rooted in the characters’ struggle for survival. There is always a life-or-death
problem in a suspense or thriller novel eg. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin.
18. Adventure novels deal with adventures of the character(s) eg. The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
19. Pulp fiction or bestsellers appeal to the wide public and is intended to entertain eg. Rage
of Angels by Sidney Sheldon.
20. Autobiographical novels deal with the author’s own life eg. David Copperfield by Charles
Dickens.
21. Spy novels are about espionage eg. Robert Ludlum’s novels.

The Short Story

In many aspects the short story shares many characteristics of the novel. Requirements for a short
story are:
1. Singleness of effect. Time, space, and action work together to achieve the “certain unique
or single effect.’
2. Concision = short enough to be read in one sitting (half an hour to two hours). This is
reached by a straightforward plot and characters that are disclosed in action and dramatic
encounter rather than description and comment. Only the number of characters and scenes
necessary to the plot are included, and there is concise narration and economy of setting.
3. Unity. The story is centered on one event or one character.
Elements of the short story are:
1. Plot
2. Characters
3. Setting
4. Point of view
5. Theme
6. Irony. There are 3 categories of irony
• Situational irony: this depends largely on surprise/unexpected events.
• Verbal irony: One thing is said but something else is meant.
• Dramatic irony: The reader knows what is happening before the characters.

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