7Elements of the novel.docx

7Elements of the novel.docx

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7Elementsofthenovel

ElementsoftheNovel

WaystoUnderstandandAppreciatetheNovel

▪Anovelisalongnarrative,normallyinprose,whichdescribesfictionalcharactersandevents,usuallyintheformofasequentialstory.

1.Setting

Definition:

Settingisthetimeandplaceinwhichtheeventsofanarrativeoccur.

Theplacemaybearegion,acityortown,orevenahouseorroom.

Thetimemaybeaperiodinhistory,aparticulartimeofyear,oracertaintimeofday.

Thesettingmaybespecificanddetailed,andintroducedattheverybeginningofthenovel,oritmaybemerelysuggestedthroughtheuseofdetailsscatteredthroughoutthenovel.

Thestorycouldhavehappenedalmostanywhereoratanytime.

ExampleofSetting

JaneEyre:

▪Setting（time）-Earlydecadesofthe19thcentury.

▪Setting（place）-Thenovelisstructuredaroundfiveseparatelocations,allsupposedlyinnorthernEngland:

ØTheReedfamily'shomeatGateshead,

ØThewretchedLowoodSchool,

ØRochester'smanorhouseThornfield,

ØTheRiversfamily'shomeatMoorHouse,

ØRochester'sruralretreatatFerndean.

2.Characterization

▪Definition:

Themethodanauthorusestoacquaintthereaderwithhisorhercharacters.

Therearefourmethodsofcharacterization:

Ødescribingthecharacter’sappearance;

Øreportingthecharacter’sspeechandbehavior;

Ødescribingthereactionsofothercharacterstotheindividual,

Ørevealingthecharacter’sthoughtsandfeelings

ExamplesofCharacterization（A）

▪Karenwassmallforherageandinclinedtoplumpness.Herblueeyesviewedthepeopleandeventsaroundherwithamixtureofcuriosityandamusement.Shewasnotawoman,butshewaspastbeingachild;toosophisticatedfortoys,shemightstill,onimpulse,turnasomersaultonthelivingroomrug..

ØApproximatelyhowoldisKaren?

ØWhatdetailshelpyouvisualizeher?

ØWhatdetailsrevealsomethingaboutKaren’spersonality?

ExamplesofCharacterization（B）

▪Butwhycan’tIgo?

”Karenwailed.“Everyoneelseisgoing.Youneverletmegoanywhere!

Youjustdon’twantmetogrowupandhavefun!

”Karenwheeledaroundandstormedoutofthehouse,slammingthedoorbehindher.

ØWhatdoesKarenrevealaboutherpersonalityinthisspeech?

ØWhatdoheractionscontributetoyourpictureofher?

ExamplesofCharacterization（C）

▪“I”veknowKarenalongtime,eversincefirstgrade.We”vebeenbestfriendssincelastyear.Ilikeherbecause…well,Iguessit’sbecauseshe’salwayssohappyandsureofherselfandshe’sgoodatthingslikebaseballandswimmingandpaintingandstuff.”Joaniepaused,thenadded,“Everybodyatschoollikesher.”

ØWhatisJoanie’srelationshiptoKaren?

ØWhatdoyoulearnaboutKarenfromJoanie’scomments?

ExamplesofCharacterization（D）

Thesunlighttrickledbetweentheslatesofthebambooblinds.Karenstretchedluxuriously,pleasantlyawareofthetinglingsensationinhermuscles.

▪Shereallyoughttogetup,shethought.Sallywascomingoverateleven.Maybesheshouldmakesomesandwichesfortheycouldeatoutinthebackyard.Mrs.Henleywastakingthemtothebeachintheafternoon.SheshouldalsofinishthatlettertoPeggy…maybeshewouldtonight…ifsheremembered…andifshehadthetime.

ØWhatisKarenthinkingabout?

ØWhatdoherthoughtstellyouaboutherpersonality?

2.1.Protagonist

themostimportantcharacter.Theprotagonistdoesnothavetobeheroic,butheorshenormallytriestoaccomplishsomethingdecisiveduringthecourseofthestory.Thisgoalmaybeobvioustotheothercharacters,oritmaybeprivate.

2.2.Thecharacterwhoopposestheprotagonististheantagonist.Althoughtheantagonistmaywellbeunpleasantoractuallyevil,thisisbynomeansalwaysthecase.Manytimes（especiallyincontemporaryfiction）theprotagonistandtheantagonistwillbepresentedasequallygoodorbadindividuals.

Examplesoftheantagonists

▪JaneErye:

▪Antagonist-Janemeetswithaseriesofforcesthatthreatenherliberty,integrity,andhappiness.

▪Charactersembodyingtheseforcesare:

AuntReed,Mr.Brocklehurst,BerthaMason,Mr.Rochester（inthatheurgesJanetoignoreherconscienceandsurrendertopassion）,andSt.JohnRivers（inhisurgingoftheoppositeextreme）.BlancheIngram,whoinitiallystandsinthewayofJane'srelationswithRochester,alsoembodiesthenotionofarigidclasssystem—anotherforcekeepingJanefromfulfillingherhopes.

3.Plot

▪Aseriesofrelatedeventsselectedbytheauthortopresentandbringabouttheresolutionofsomeinternalorexternalconflict.

▪Theeventsusuallyfollowapattern:

theconflictorproblemisestablished;complicationsarisefromtheconflict;thesituationitselfbringsaboutaclimax,oracharactertakesadecisiveaction;theconflictisresolved.

Theplothasfivepartstoit,andtheseare:

exposition,risingaction,climax,fallingaction,resolution

Exposition:

Thisiswhereyouintroducethecharacters,thesetting,andtheconflict.Thisiswhereyousetthestage,sotospeak—thatproverbial准备好的舞台stagewhereyourcharactersaregoingtoactandwherealltheactionisgoingtotakeplace.

Theexpositionisthepartofthenovelofleastaction,butthatdoesnotmeanitisnotimportant.Itisinfactthemostimportantpartofyourplot.Thisisbecauseitiswhereyousetthegroundwork;thefoundationofyourwholebook.Apoorfoundationwillrenderyourwholeweakuseless.Isitnottruethatmostofusputbooksawaybecausethefirstfewpagesaredownrightboring?

Sopayparticularattentiontotheexposition.

RisingAction：

Ah!

Thisiswherethenovelstartsgettinginteresting.Thecharactersstartacting.Theygetcaughtupinproblemsand/ormovetosolvetheseproblems.Thereaderisgrippedbytheaction.被吸引

Thetransitionfromexpositiontorisingactionshouldhappenearlyonsoastoengagethereaderandkeepherreading.Ifthistransitiondoesnothappenearlyenough,yourreaderwillgetboredandwon’tseethepointofreadingon.

Climax：

Thisiswheretheactionreachesitspeak.Theconflictishighest.Atthispoint,thereadercannotsimplyputthebookdown.

FallingAction：

Afterthegraphofactivityreachesitsmaximum,itrapidlystartsdropping.Duringthisperiod,thetruthisbroughtout,andallthemysteriesaresolved.

Resolution：

Theconflictisresolved,andthestorycomestoitsend.Thereaderrespondswithasigh,achuckle,asniffle,afrown—whateverresponseyouintended.

4.ThemeThisisthemajoridea,ormotif,thatpermeatesthewholework.Thismotifrecursthroughoutfromthebeginningtotheend.Itisthewriter’sveryreasonforwriting.

5.Conflicts:

▪Theconflictneednotariseexclusivelyfromtheprotagonist’sstrugglewithanotherperson.Theprotagonistmaystruggleagainstaforceofnature（atornado,astormysea,adisease）oragainstanentiresociety,orsomelargesegmentofsociety.Theprotagonistmayexperienceaninnerstrugglebetweenconflictingpersonalimpulses.Orthestrugglemaybeagainstwhatseemstobetheinevitabilityoftheuniverse,againstfateordestinyorevenGod.

6.PointofView

（1）

ŸAsIplacedthecarefullywrappedpackageontheparkbench,IlookedupandsawMollywalkingacrossthestreet.Ihopedthatshehadn’tseenme.

▪Isthenarratoracharacterintheincidentoranoutsider?

▪Doyouknowwhatthenarratorwasdoing?

▪DoyouknowwhatMollywasdoing?

Whatshewasthinking?

6.PointofView

（2）

ŸAsGeorgeplacedthecarefullywrappedpackageontheparkbench,helookedupandsawMollywalkingacrossthestreet.

▪Isthenarratoracharacterintheincidentoranoutsider?

▪DoyouknowwhatGeorgewasdoing?

Whathewasthinking?

▪DoyouknowwhatMollywasdoing?

Whatshewasthinking?

6.PointofView（3）

ŸGeorge,anxiouslyhopingthatnoonewaswatchinghim,placedacarefullywrappedpackageonanemptyparkbench.Butwhenhelookedaround,hesawMollywatchinghimfromacrossthestreet.

▪Isthenarratoracharacterintheincidentoranoutsider?

▪DoyouknowwhatGeorgewasdoing?

Whathewasthinking?

▪DoyouknowwhatMollywasdoing?

Whatshewasthinking?

6.PointofView（4）

ŸGeorge,anxiouslyhopingthatnoonewaswatchinghim,placedacarefullywrappedpackageonanemptyparkbench.ButMolly,whowaswalkinghome,sayhimandcouldn’thelpthinkingthathewasactingstrangely.

▪Isthenarratoracharacterintheincidentoranoutsider?

▪DoyouknowwhatGeorgewasdoing?

Whathewasthinking?

▪DoyouknowwhatMollywasdoing?

Whatshewasthinking?

7.First-personpointofview

▪Inexamplenumber1,thenarratorisacharacterinthestory.Intellingthestoryfromhispersonalpointofview,thenarrator（“i”,orfirstperson）cantellushisownthoughts,buthecannottellusthethoughtsofothercharacters.Justasyoucanreportwhatyouseeothersdoing,thenarratorcantellusonlywhatheseesothercharactersdoingorwhatheistoldbyothercharacters;andjustasyoucannotenterthemindsofotherpeople,thenarratorcannotenterthemindsofcharactersotherthanhimself.

7.Third-person-objectivepointofview

▪Inexamplenumber2thenarratorisnotacharacterinthestorybutisanoutsider,orthirdperson.Thisnarratorcantelluswhatishappening,buthedoesnottellusthethoughtsofanyofthecharacters.Heislikeanewspaperreporterwhocangiveonlythefactsastheyoccur;hecannotenterintothecharacters’minds.Example2iswrittenfromthethird-person-objectivepointofview.

▪Thispointofviewisalsocalledthethird-person-dramaticpointofviewbecauseitisthepointofviewaplaywrightuses.（sincethispointofviewgreatlylimitstheamountofinformationanauthor