THE NOVEL - Augustan Age

THE NOVEL

The literature of Augustan Age is dominated by the rise of the novel, a fictitious prose narrative or tale presenting a picture of real life. Before the eighteen century, there were prose fiction or narration, but these certainly did not present the real life (for example, Don Quixote of Cervantes, marks an importing point and it can be considered a precursor of the novel, but is the theme of this book is the battle between fantasy and reality). There were three main reasons why the novel became the dominant literary form of Augustan Age: first, the rise of philosophical rationalism; the important philosopher, John Locke, wanted to focus on the experience of the individual person, the reality of the people and the world through his senses and perceptions. Secondly the great influence of Puritanism and Methodism in daily life: Puritanism preached the idea that man must save himself by his own efforts, hard work and his virtuous life. The rise of novel was also influenced by the tastes of middle classes, in particularly of the new readers, the women, which began to buy and read. The new reading public we no longer interested in stories of chivalry and romance, they wanted to read stories that reflected their own interests and problems, about characters that could more or less identify with. The novel was becoming more tied to real life, in particular to the experience of the bourgeois class and the settings of the stories became more detailed and realistic.

Defoe and the realist novel

Defoe's works are written in the form of fictional autobiography (a sort of diary or journal) to make the stories more realistic. There in no real plot, just a chronological series of connected events with a single protagonist. The protagonist, male or female, must struggle to overcome a series of misfortunes, using only his mental and physical capacity (the Puritan idea that man mast save himself and the merchant capitalism of hard work based on own ability). Defoe anticipate the semi-autobiographical novels such as Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Dickens's David Copperfield.

Richardson and the bourgeois sentimental novel

Richardson wrote epistolary novels, that is novels in form of letters. In his fists book, Pamela, he talks about a young maid who, by resisting the attempts of her employer's son to seduce her, eventually wins his hearth and marries him. The letter was also intended as a model of correct moral conduct and included a special section dedicated to young servants, teaching them how avoid being seduced by their employers. Richardson is the first novelist to write love stories exploring the psychology of his characters and the interior word, the subjective experiences and the world of passion and feelings.

Fielding and comic novel

Fielding was a very innovative writer: in his novel he portrayed not just the lives of few individuals but the life of society in all its variety. Fielding said that his intention was to 'describe not man, but manners; not an individual, but a species'.

Swift and the satire

Swift is known as a journalist and a satirist, but he is also the precursor of the whole science-fiction genre, in fact his Gulliver's Travels was the first novel of the fantastic.

Sterne and the experimental novel

Sterne anticipated the movement of modernism, in fact he can be considered the father of the experimental novel.

FICTION

The word fiction comes from the Latin "fingere" in fact it describes imaginary events and a characters. The realism influenced the eighteen novel, in fact John Locke said that the knowledge can be acquire form the senses, perceptions and the experiences. Novel creates a lifelike: the writer choose a social setting, contemporary and actual, he creates characters set in a well definite context (historical reference, chronological detail, geographical description). The characters have ordinary names (they aren't legendary ure or mythical heroes) and the language is clear, simple and direct.

There are two kind of fiction, the novel and the short story. The novel is characterized by: prose narration, several characters who act in a context ruled by connective logic, complex plot containing actions, the investigation on human complexity. The short story (born in the nineteen century) is briefer than novel, it begins in medias res and focuses on one character and one event.

Elements of the novel

Setting: place settings can be interior (feelings) or exterior (landscape) and the time setting refers to the season, the years and the historical-social facts.

Plot: the sequences of events aren't always presented in chronological order (there are flashback, anticipation or digression).

Narrative models: the dialogue, the description and the narration are usually combined together. 

Point of view: internal or external.

First-person narrator: the "I" narrator or character gives an impression of reality and the reader is closer to the mind or feelings of the narrator.

Third-person narrator: is omniscient and could be obtrusive (makes personal remarks or comments on society and characters) or unobtrusive (doesn't obstruct in the story).

Characters: can be presented directing or with an indirect presentation (the readers infers from his/her actions, reactions or behaviour.

Satire: comes form the Latin word "lanx satura" (dishes full of food) and can be a mockery of human beings for instinct for comedy or a desire of the poet to instruct his readers by setting moral standards to reform social conduct or denouncing distasteful aspect of human nature (like J.Swift).

Irony: it isn't a open direct attack, unlike the satire, because the ironist wants to create awareness in the reader. It could be a verbal irony (writer says one thing and means something different) or dramatic irony (reader perceives something that character doesn't know).

Humor doesn't deride at someone or something, but simple evokes laughs.