ASSIGNMENT NO 1
SUBMITTED TO: SIR AFTAB
SUBMITTED BY: MUHAMMAD HUSSAIN
Development of Novel as a Genre
1.Definition
A novel is a long, fictional narrative which describes intimate human experiences.
The novel in the modern era usually makes use of a literary prose style, and the development of the
prose novel at this time was encouraged by innovations in printing, and the introduction of
cheap paper, in the 15th century.
2.Types of Novel
Historical Novel: A Novel that has as its sitting a period of history and that attempts to
convey the spirits, manners and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity
to historical fact.
Mystery Novel: A Novel in which the reader challenged to solve a puzzle before the
detective explains it at the end.
Science-fiction Novel: It is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts
such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, faster
then light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life.
Romance Novel: A romance is a fictional narrative in prose or verse that represents a
chivalric theme or relates improbable adventures of idealised characters in some remote or
enchanted setting. It typically deploys monodimensional or static characters who are sharply
discriminated as heroes or villains, masters or victims. The protagonist is often solitary and
isolated from a social context, the plot emphasises adventure, and is often cast in the form of a
quest for an ideal or the pursuit of an enemy. Examples: Anonymous, Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight; Sir Philip Sidney, Arcadia; Percy B. Shelley, Queen Mab; Nathaniel Hawthorne, The
House of the Seven Gables
HISTORY OF NOVEL
The history of the novel has been started with the history of human
beings.Its identity has envolved and it is now considered to mean a work of prose fiction over
50,000 words.Novels focus on character development then plot.
In 1200 century,it is considered as a good period in the history of novel. Different famous
novels have been written in this particular era. Some important works of this time are as
follows, Welsh Triology, Kay Penman-England,White Heart-Sherry Jones etc.
Fifteen century is called renaissance period and it means re-birth of knowledge. This period is
called by this name because at that time,people started taking an interest in the learning of
ancient times, in particular Rome. This period has great effect in every field of life.So it has a
great impact on novels of that time.A great piece of novels have been written in this age.Some
important works are here.The birth of venus,The dark angel,The last Jew,Men of iron,Of love
and evil etc
The seventeenth century offers a variety of stirring historical settings,including the civil wars in
England between the Royalist supporters of king Charles 1 and the Puritan
parelimentarians.There are a lot of great novels in seventeenth century.Some of that are as ,All
the world’s morning,Black robe,Cup of gold,The king’s way,Witch wood etc.
In eighteen century, It was in the Victorian era that the novel became the leading literary genre
in English.Another important fact is the number of women novelist ,who were successful in the
19th century,even though they had to use a masculine pseudonym.
The 1830s and 1840s saw the rise of social novel,also known as social problem novel,that
‘‘arous out of the social political upheavels which followed the Reform Act of 1832’’
An interest in rural matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside
was seen in the novel.Some important novels are as follow
Pride and Prejudice,Wuthering Heights ,Joseph Andrews etc
Modren
Jamce Joyce’s Ulysses had a major influence on modern novelists,in the way that it replaced the
18th and 19th century narrator with a text that attempted to record inner thoughts’’Stream of
Consciousness’’.Modren novels deals with a wide range of subject matter. Erich Maria
Remarque’s all quiet on the western front,focusses on young German’s experiences of World
War 1.The Jazz age is explored by American F.Scott Fitzgerland and the great Depression by
fellow America John Steinbeck.
The major political and military confrontations of the 20th and 21th centuries have also
Influenced novelists.The events of World War 2,have also been written by different novelists in
their writings.
Another major social events,the so called sexual revolution is reflected in the modern novel.
There are following important novels Ulysses by James Joyce,the sound and The fury by William
Faukner,Sons and Lovers by D.H Lawrence ,The wings of the Dove by Henry James etc
4.BRIEF DESCRIOITION OF FOUR NOVELISTS:
Jane Austen
She born on 16 December,1775, Steventon Unites Kingdom. Jane Austen distinctive literary
style relies on the combination of parody, Irony, free indirect speech and a degree of
realism.Austen extends her critique by highlighting social hypocrisy through irony. The degree
to which critics believe Austen’s characters have phychological depth informs their views
regarding her realism.Her novels are some times described as ‘’country house novels’’ or
‘’comedies of manners’’.
THEMES
Her main themes are about Education and reading, Morality ,Religion, Feminism, Sexuality,
Politics, Role of colonialism property and elass,individual and society atc
Pride and Prejudice
The novel Pride and Prejudice was written during the middle of the Romentic period.In this she
used romanticism ,irony,and degree of realism etc
Some major works
Some important novels of Jane Austen are Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense and
Sensibility, Mansfield park etc
HENRY FIELDING
Henry Fielding born on 22 april 1707,Sharpham,United kingdom.He was an English novelist and
dramatist man for his rich,earthy humour and satirical prowess.Fielding meld elements of
several traditional literary forms his novels.His some novels borrow elements of epic
poem.Such as Homer’s Odussey.Infact in the novel itself,Fielding,as narrator,calls the book a
‘‘Prosaicomic epic’’ meaning a comic epic written in prose.His writing style is very criticising.
HIS MAJOR WORK
There are following important works of Henry Fielding.Shamela,The Life and Death of Jonathan
wild,The history of Tom Jones,a Funding etc
THEMES
Main theme in the writing of Henry Fielding are about Moralities, Religious, Social issues,
Education, Sexuality, Hypocrasy etc
In Joseph Andrew
In his famous novel Joseph Andrews, he deals with all these issues including,
Moralities, Sexualities, Virtuness, Corruption etc.
GEORGE ELIOT:
She born on 22 November 1819,Nuneaton,United Kingdom.
STYLE:
Due to her style she earned the reputation as a ‘‘ Victorian age’’ in other words,a writer who
was educated and intelligent enough to comment almost any aspect of contemporary life,from
arts and literature to politics and science.
Her major work:
Her famous books are Middlemarch,Slias Marner,The Mill on the Floss,Adam Bade,Romala
etc….
THEMES
Her mainly themes are about self-Determination vs chance,Poverty,Friendship,Wars,Marriages
etc…
The Mill on the Floss:
George Eliot creates her art not merely for the entertainment of reading public but in a lacid
and simple style.She explores new ideas,projects,women’s point of view in a man’s world.Here
she deals with the religion,psychology,economy,philosophy,emotions and intellect at the same
time.
EMILY BRONTE
She born on 30 July 1818,Thornton,West Yorkshire,United Kingdom.
STYLE:
Before she wrote Wuthering Heights,Emily Brontecomposed quite a bit of poetry,and the urge
to write in a lyrical manner really shows in her prose style.Her writings are full of
flowers,mountain breezes,frozen snow,thorny briars etc
Major work:
Her major works are Wuthering Heights ,Glass Town,No coward soul is mine,The Night is
Darkening etc…
THEMES:
Her main themes are about Literacy,Self knowledge,Humanity vs nature etc…
WUTHERING HEIGHTS:
Wuthering Heights deals with different aspects of Life including Literacy,Double
character,Siblings relationships etc..
Overall she is a great novelist and her writings are thought provoking and amazing.
