Elements of a Novel, History and Mission

A summary of literature Introduction

1. Elements of a Novel By Orietta Cognuck

2. Definitions “A book length story in prose, whose author tries to create a sense that, while we read, we experience actual life.” By X. J. Kennedy “An imaginary work in prose of a considerable length, which presents as real certain characters living in a given environment and describes their attitudes, fate, and adventures.” By Percy Lubbock “An extended fictional narrative, usually written in prose.” Anonymous “The novel is like a symphony In the closing movement Echoes and resounds with all that has gone before…”’ By John Gardner

3. The Novel is a Unique Form of Prose THERE ARE 4 QUALITIES TO THE NOVEL…

4. Quality #1 Length is generally 100 pages or more.

5. Quality #2 Emphasis is on the character.

6. Quality #3 Allows for more than one theme, conflict, point of view, or plot.

7. Quality #4 Plot explores characters in conflict to understand our humanity.

8. Novel Short Story 50,000 words or more Many characters Complex story Deeper understanding of life or individuals 5,000 words or less Few or one character Focuses on one event Better understanding of an event or character Novel Compared to the Short Story

9. History of the Novel Oral telling of myths, history, and stories. Written storytelling in the form of epic. Written prose fiction is concerned with adventure, known as romance. (The French word for the novel is roman). Written prose fiction is concerned with reality or actual life. (The English word for new is novel) 1700s.

10. The Industrial Revolution Mid 18th Century England Growth of cities due to industry Ideas and goods are exchanged New “middle class” is created from industry

11. Creation Of The Middle Class Increase in the number of people able to read Spending money available for entertainment More leisure time available New market for the novel by 1700s! Birth of the Novel

12. The Middle Class Concerned with real problems and real situations!

13. Early Beginnings–1700s “The proper study of mankind is man.” — Alexander Pope Samuel Richardson Henry Fielding Richardson Pope

14. The Founder of the Modern English Novel Daniel Defoe Wrote Robinson Crusoe (1719) Moll Flanders (1722) Born 1660 - Died 1731 Established a “middle class” perspective Defoe

15. Basic Elements of the Novel Plot Character Setting Point of View Theme

16. Plot The plot is what happens in the story. exposition climax dénouement

17. Conflict in the Early Novels Person versus society Person versus self Person versus person

18. Character trapped by circumstances of birth Character falsely accused by society The character feels apart from society and discovers own values Person v. Society

19. Person v. Society Great Expectations English Society during the Industrial Age Trapped between two worlds Middle-class audience “... my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip. ...”

20. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Separated from the cosmopolitan world Rebels Person v. Society “He hoped I would study law, but all I wanted was to go to sea.”

21. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Individuals triumph over cultural expectations of society Hester Prynne Person v. Society “Lastly, in lieu of these shifting scenes, came back the rude market-place of the Puritan settlement, with all the townspeople assembled and levelling their stern regards at Hester Prynne,—yes, at herself,—who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom! ”

22. Person v. Self Character finds inner strength despite poor odds Character must develop a moral compass The character must discover self-worth Defoe Dickens Hawthorne

23. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Own sense of morality Journeyed along Mississippi River Defines who he is as a man Returns home—”outgrown” society “But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before.” Person v. Self

24. Moby Dick by Herman Melville High-seas adventure Forsakes everything to hunt the great whale “Enveloped in the whale-lines” “ All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever present perils of life.” Person v. Self

25. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Good vs. evil Frodo “I will take the Ring,” he said, “though I do not know the way.” —Frodo Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him... “This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields, to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it?” Person v. Self

26. Person v. Person One character must battle another character to gain power, true love, freedom, justice or acceptance One group of characters must free themselves from another One character must confront another to survive

27. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Creature Companionship “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind.” Person v. Person

28. Person v. Person War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Science Fiction masterpiece War erupts: Martians and mankind “Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.”

29. Lord of the Flies by William Golding Plane crash—boys left marooned on island Psychologically fascinating yet horrifying Mankind’s worst qualities are exposed Person v. Person “But Ralph soon regained his senses. Homesick and tired, he again competed with Jack for the role of leader. Sensing Jack's unstable nature, most of the boys again voted for Ralph, where upon, Jack gathered his loyal hunters and struck out into the jungle to become his own tribal chieftain.”

30. Character Character: person in a literary work Main character: the protagonist Character in direct conflict with the protagonist: the antagonist

31. From the Novel to the Movies! Antagonist Protagonist Lord of the Rings Frodo Saruman the Wizard War of the Worlds Ray Ferrier The alien invaders Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter Lord Voldemort The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Lucy, Peter, Edmund and Susan The White Witch

32. Point of View Author’s choice of narrator for a story A story can be told in many different ways

33. First-Person Point of View Narrator is a character in the story

34. Captain Ahab and Huck Finn “It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.” ––Huckleberry Finn, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “Call me Ishmael.” ––from Moby Dick

35. Refers to the use of “you” in writings Second-Person Point of View

36. Second Person Examples Directions: Use the following diagram in assembling the bookcase. Memo: You will receive the following checklist of supplies in the next week. Explanation: This Power- Point® presentation is to help you understand the elements of a novel. Narration: “He hasn’t disappointed her yet. You have. She looks at you through a veneer of resignation. Her eyes glow, her lower lip barely trembling. And well she might fear you.” from The Bride Wore Red by Robbie Sethi

37. The narrator is not a character in the story Third-person point of view written in a variety of ways Third Person (Limited) Third Person (Multiple Viewpoints) Third Person (Omniscient) Third Person Point of View

38. From what viewpoint is the narrator speaking? “She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom!” from The Scarlet Letter "Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!" from A Christmas Carol "Man," I cried, "how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!" Victor Frankenstein, from Frankenstein “The agony of my feelings allowed me no respite; no incident occurred from which my rage and misery could not extract its food ...” The monster, from Frankenstein

39. Where and when a story takes place Time of day or year Geographical location Climate or weather Immediate surroundings of the character Setting

40. Purpose of Setting Become the antagonist Create atmosphere Tell about a character Reinforce an overall idea

41. Setting Examples Puritan New England in The Scarlet Letter The Mississippi River in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Atlantic Ocean in Moby Dick A deserted island in Lord of the Flies 1920s Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby

42. Theme The central idea that serves to unify the story Every element of the novel contributes

43. Theme Topics Teamwork • Discrimination • Pride Trust • Resourcefulness • Challenges Ethical dilemmas • Nature • Leadership Euthanasia • Commitment • Diversity Freedom • Guilt • Love Convictions • Heroes • Community Social change • Loss • Patriotism Communication • Evil • Family Friendship • Loyalty • Power Acceptance • Hope • Friendship Customs • Loneliness • Values Money • Death • War Choices • Prejudice Denial • Poverty

44. Genres Subject or category of literature Novels can fall into multiple genres

45. Genre Examples Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie The Dead Zone by Stephen King Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

46. The Novel’s Many Forms Historical Novel Nonfiction Novel Bildungsroman Novel Picaresque Novel Trilogy Novel Novelette or Novella

47. The Historical Novel Fiction that has its basis in historical fact The Scarlet Letter The Red Badge of Courage The Grapes of Wrath All Quiet on the Western Front

48. The Nonfiction Novel Records or nearly records literal truth In Cold Blood Hiroshima The Killer Angels

49. The Bildungsroman Novel Main character struggles toward maturity The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn matures Finn experienced: Enslavement Hypocrisy in society Greed

50. The Picaresque Novel Main character is a likeable scoundrel Spanish word “picaro” means rascal Tom Jones

51. The Trilogy Novel Three novels in a sequence that tell a story The Lord of the Rings Trilogy The Star Wars Trilogy

52. The Novelette or Novella Length between a short story and novel The Heart of Darkness The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

53. Novels of Note: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Degradation and cruelty of slavery in the South American Civil War

54. Roots by Alex Haley First historical novel made into a television miniseries African American family Bridge the cultural divide

55. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Pulitzer prize Oklahoma farm family during the Depression Unemployed Americans & greed of corporate America

56. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Classic story of redemption Man can change

57. In Conclusion Novels serve many purposes: Help us understand our heritage Illuminate the human experience Can be a catalyst for social and political change Document an event for better understanding

58. Thanks! Do you have any questions? [email protected] 8892-5349