The rise of the Novel

Question 1

1.What did the 18th century literature reflect?

Answer 1

the economic and intellectual progress of the time+ growing interest in reading

Question 2

2.What were circulating libraries?

Answer 2

-a moving library
-subscriptions were pricey so people used them and they also led to an increase of reading

Question 3

3.What became a profession?

Answer 3

-Writer
-they had to follow specific criteria
-value of an author depended on how many pages they have wrote

Question 4

4.What happened in regards to books and reading?

Answer 4

-more printing
-increase of literacy (more than 60% of males could read and 40% of females)
-readers belonged to the middle and lower classes
-people preferred prose to verse and drama. (pirates, trade, travels, political pamphlets and newspaper)

Question 5

5.What is a Novel by definition?

Answer 5

“A long prose narrative about largely fictional, if usually realistic, characters and plausible events.”

Question 6

6.Characteristics of the Novel in the 18th century ?

Answer 6

-the belief in ones self abilities showed in the novels
-stories were told in chronological order
-narration in 1 or 3 person.
-specific attention to the setting with references to particular details (time of day/night,countries etc)
-to reinforce realism = ) characters had contemporary names +
-language simple and factual

Question 7

7.What were the characteristics of the hero?

Answer 7

-it was usually the “bourgeois man” with his problems
- either struggling with survival or social success
-the reader was expected to sympathize with him

Question 8

8. What was the novel concerned with?

Answer 8

-novelists of this time were the spokesman for the middle class.
-the writer had to write in a simple manner so that everyone could understand
-novel concerned with everything that could alter social status that’s why it was so appealing for practical-minded tradesman (self-made)
-sense of reward and punishment was related to the Puritan ethics of the middle classes.