The Rise of the Novel Dr. Rania Khalil KNU – Class # 2 22 nd June, 2011

Defining a Novel... According to the dictionary a novel is A fictional prose narrative of considerable length typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech and thoughts of the characters.

250 years in England The novel became a cultural instrument that redefined: the time and space where we live the way we speak and talk how we feel

Prototypes of novels Date back to the Elizabethan era Sir Philip Sydney’s Arcadia John Bunyan’s A Pilgrim’s Progress 1678

Why novels became popular The rise of the novel coincided with the rising of the middle classes in Europe Profound social and economic changes brought the novel into prominence More people had become literate Authors had more freedom

Features of the Novel Realism Focus on the experience of the individual as a subject matter Explores the individual’s consciousness and perception Readers “identify” and “empathize” with the heroes and heroines of the novels

Types of the Novel Epistolary Realistic Philosophic Epic Buildungsroman Experimental (meta-novel)

Almost all of the 18 th C English novels can be considered buildungsroman. Examples we will study: Robinson Crusoe Pride and Prejudice