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Questions and Answers
What are the common features of Victorian novels?
What are the common features of Victorian novels?
Rejection of Romantic Sentimentalism, Ordinariness, Focus on Childhood and Innocence, Domestic Dramas, Class Sensitivity, Importance of Money, Sentimentality, Pathos in Deaths, Narrative Style, Domestic Life Details, Multi-plot Structures, Bildungsroman Elements
Which of the following are genres of Victorian novels?
Which of the following are genres of Victorian novels?
What was the thematic focus of European Realism compared to Victorian Realism? European Realism had broader thematic concerns including _______________, while Victorian Realism was more focused on the socio-economic conditions specific to Britain.
What was the thematic focus of European Realism compared to Victorian Realism? European Realism had broader thematic concerns including _______________, while Victorian Realism was more focused on the socio-economic conditions specific to Britain.
psychological, social, and critical realism
Victorian Realism was heavily influenced by serialization and market needs, leading to specific narrative techniques such as cliff-hangers and intricate subplots.
Victorian Realism was heavily influenced by serialization and market needs, leading to specific narrative techniques such as cliff-hangers and intricate subplots.
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What are some characteristics of a novel?
What are some characteristics of a novel?
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List two ways a character can be presented in a Victorian novel.
List two ways a character can be presented in a Victorian novel.
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In Victorian novels, the omniscient point of view is common.
In Victorian novels, the omniscient point of view is common.
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In the Victorian era, the rise of the novel as a respected literary genre was seen in the works of authors such as Jane Austen and _.
In the Victorian era, the rise of the novel as a respected literary genre was seen in the works of authors such as Jane Austen and _.
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Match the following novel types with their descriptions:
Match the following novel types with their descriptions:
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Study Notes
Characteristics of a Novel
- A lengthy, fictitious narrative in prose (typically at least 50,000 words)
- Involves characters and portrays their actions and conflicts
- Organized sequence of events, story, and plot
- Presents related settings/background
- Relates to reality, reflecting the perception of reality during the time of writing
The Victorian Novel
- Emerged from significant economic, scientific, political, social, and cultural changes
- Reflected political, religious, and societal transformations
- Flourished due to a fully formed reading public, increased accessibility and affordability of books, development of printing, publishing, and distribution industries, and railways making distribution cheaper and easier
- Curiosity about social and political changes and new discoveries
Characterization in the Victorian Novel
- Devices of characterization:
- Physical description
- Dialogue (most informative and powerful tool)
- Physical actions (interesting when in opposition to the character’s thoughts)
- Thoughts and mental actions
- Judgment by others (characterizing both the judge and the judged)
- Narrator’s judgment
- Author’s judgment
- Manner of presenting characters:
- Direct: Telling information directly
- Indirect: Showing through thoughts, words, actions, and judgments by others
- Types of characters:
- Protagonist/hero
- Antagonist
- Minor characters
- Foil characters (highlight important characters)
- Round characters (fully developed, multidimensional)
- Flat characters (one-dimensional, presented in outline)
- Character vs. Type:
- Character: Can be static (unchanged) or dynamic (changes through the story)
- Type: Generalization of human traits
Scene & Setting
- Scene: Actual location where the action takes place
- Setting: Broader background, including historical context
- Real or Invented Setting: Adds a sense of reality, creates atmosphere and tone, can have symbolic value
Narrator and Point of View
- Types of narrators:
- Omniscient: All-knowing, follows any number of characters
- Limited: Knowledge restricted to own experiences
- Points of view:
- Omniscient POV: Trustworthy
- 1st Person POV: Subjective, intimate
- Limited 3rd Person POV
- Shifting POV: Several points of view
Plot & Story
- Story: Chronological sequence of events (What happens next?)
- Plot: Causal structure of events (Why does this happen?)
- Tight Plot: Each event results from the previous one
- Loose Plot: Episodic, with dispensable events and sequences
- Organic Plot: Contains no unnecessary elements
- Episodic Plot: Mosaic of events
- Victorian novels often had episodic plots due to serialized publication
Types of Novels
- General Typology:
- Panoramic/Epic Novel: Numerous characters, episodes, loose plot
- Dramatic/Well-made Novel: Single issue, well-constructed plot
- Physical Properties:
- Single or multi-volume novels
- Serial novels (published in instalments)
- Technique of Presentation:
- Realist/Naturalistic Novels: Describe things as they are
- Stream-of-Consciousness Novels
- Epistolary Novel: Letters
- Subject Matter:
- Sociological novel
- Problem novel (e.g., the condition of England)
- Propaganda novel
- Proletarian novel
- Historical novel
Development of the English Novel
- Origins:
- Romance (grotesque, distant settings)
- Novel (realistic, modern times)
- Milestones:
- Geoffrey Chaucer: "Canterbury Tales"
- Thomas Lodge: "Rosalynde"
- Thomas Nashe: "The Unfortunate Traveller"
- John Bunyan: "Pilgrim’s Progress"
- Early English Novel:
- Daniel Defoe: "Robinson Crusoe," "Moll Flanders"
- Jonathan Swift: "Gulliver’s Travels"
- Samuel Richardson: "Pamela or Virtue Rewarded"
- Henry Fielding: "Tom Jones"
- Laurence Sterne: "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy"
- Gothic novels (e.g., Horace Walpole: "Castle of Otranto")
- Novel in the Period of Romanticism:
- Formation of the literary market
- Establishment of the novel as a respected literary genre
- Jane Austen: Representing middle class values
- Walter Scott: Invented the national history novel### Social Problem Novels
- Aimed at social reform, highlighting the harsh realities of industrialization
- Notable authors: Benjamin Disraeli, Charlotte Brontë, and Charles Dickens
- Examples: "Sybil" by Disraeli, "Shirley" by Brontë, and "Hard Times" by Dickens
Gothic Romance
- Translated Gothic conventions into Victorian social realities
- Notable works: "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
- Shifted settings from medieval castles to urban slums and domestic spaces
Children's Fiction
- Types: fairytales and fantasy, evangelical and moral books, school stories, and adventure tales
- Notable works: "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Reflected the Victorian belief in the formative power of childhood literature
Science Fiction
- Response to scientific and technological advancements
- Features: often involving mad scientists and dystopian futures
- Notable works: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells
- Explored the implications of scientific progress and its potential dangers
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Description
This quiz explores the key characteristics of novels, including length, narrative, characters, and settings. It also touches on the emergence of the modern novel during the Victorian era.
