Things to Keep in Mind When Studying a Novel
SEE ALSO ENGLISH TERMS
See the links to dictionaries of literary terms below.
Context
This is the frame of reference in which the book was written. It can include the author's philosophy or history, the time period, the purpose of the book and the intentions of the writer. For example, know when the writer lived who wrote the book and what was happening when the book was written. Know if the writer is generally classified a certain way- realist, gothic, Victorian, poetic or radical. Know if the writer had an agenda- was he or she a social activist, a politician or writing in some way to convince others to take a side.
Point of View
There are three points of view commonly used and one used less often. Third person point of view can be recognized by the author's use of the pronouns he, she, it or they. The narrator is not a part of the action, and can be in the mind of one or more characters at once but is still limited. When a writer uses third person omniscient the narrator has a special place in that it is all knowing- the reader is told everything that happened and what every character is thinking. This is used sparingly in literature because all of the tricks are given away and there is no guesswork.
The second most common point of view is first person. In first person point of view the narrator is talking to the reader- sometimes directly, using phrases such as "the reader may notice" or "reader, you may think". Often the writer will not talk to the reader but will use pronouns I, me, or we. In this point of view the reader only gets the viewpoint of one character and does not know what the other characters are thinking.
The least common point of view is second person, used sparingly. In second person point of view the pronoun "you" is used both in the singular and plural sense. Although it is not often found that an entire novel is written this way, poems often use second person point of view. An example of its use at some times in a novel is Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy. When you write a letter, you may use second person.
MORE ON POINT OF VIEW
Third person point of view is always told with third person verbs- he, she, it, names, they and so forth. First person is told with verbs like I, my and we. Second person, when used, is you.
Limited point of view is one person's thoughts. First person is usually limited. Third person is limited when it contains one character's point of view.
Omniscient literally means "all knowing". Very few characters have this god-like knowledge of what everyone is thinking at all times.
Limited omniscient may seem like a contradiction in terms, but since so few characters can be omniscient it is actually the most common. This occurs when point of view switches from character to character or is not assigned to one character. Thus while no character knows everything that is happening the reader knows more than any one character.
Sometimes authors choose more than one narrator, a in Charles Dickens' "Bleak House". Often the different narrators use different points of view. Sometimes one narrator's consciousness might be split, as in Robert Cormier's "I Am the Cheese" where one character switches back and forth from two points of view- from first to third person. Sometimes whole books might be split into narrators with artificial separations- as in Michael Dorris's "Yellow Raft in Blue Water" where three generations of narrators tell their tale. Sometimes authors have no clear narrator and move fluidly and often between the characters in a setting as in J.R.R. Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings", where the point of view comes from at least a dozen different characters.
In trying to decide the point of view of a story or poem consider the verbs and pronoun used. Any time I is the predominant pronoun used that character is in first person.
Characters
Know the principal people around whom the action of the story takes place. Usually a book will have a protagonist or one main character, but often there are several principal characters. Often there will be an antagonistic force or character against whom the main character is working. In a fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood is the protagonist and the Big Bad Wolf is the antagonist. Novels are usually not so simple. In fact there will almost always be a multitude of characters that are as important as the main character. Recognizing important characters is very useful to your understanding of a novel.
Setting
Setting should be apparent from the book's first chapters. It is commonly where the story takes place and can include a particular location, a city, or a country. There will almost always be more than one setting in a novel. Setting can include a time period if the book takes place before the present. Setting is not the same as the context because it is directly related to the action that takes place.
Theme
Themes are the "keys" to understanding the novel. All novels and poems have themes that the author wants to get across to the reader. If nothing else, a theme is the impression that a reader gets that the book is about. It is not the action of the story, but rather the reader's interpretation of the purpose of the action. A theme can be a moral but it is not the same thing because not all books have traditional morals. Themes are arguably the most important aspect of a novel because they are the reason for the author's writing the novel. Themes are often vague principles or emotions, such as good versus evil, abuse of power, love, change or growing up.
Tone
Tone or mood is the way in which a novel or poem is written. It may be the same throughout the book, such as irony, satire, or melodrama. Often it changes throughout the novel in different settings and with different actions. It can be caustic, light, happy, humorous, violent or surreal. Authors use tone in order to make a book real for the reader- they alter their prose with the intent of creating a certain impression to better get their point across.
Structure
This is how a novel is written. Novels do not have to be broken into chapters or even paragraphs. But there are many, subtler, uses of structure. Structure can be how an author breaks a book into chapters- was the book written in a serial or do certain chapters have cliffhangers? Is the novel broken into books, acts, parts or sections of the author's choosing? Does the author title chapters? These are things to consider because an author chooses to structure a novel in the way that best suits his or her intentions. More importantly, structure includes where action happens and how much of the action is explained by the narrator. Does the narrator lead the reader to suggested conclusions or make inferences, or is the narrator just a nonchalant bystander? Does the narrator moralize or criticize throughout the book? How much of the action is the reader made privy to? These are all uses of structure.
Symbolism
Symbolism is used when a writer uses an event, item or a character to stand for something else. Symbols can be characters, such as a character symbolizing good or evil. Objects can also be symbols, such as the scarlet letter. People can be symbols, such as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Authors use symbolism, a form of imagery, when they want to portray something to the reader without using the narrator. It is subtle and therefore much less obtrusive.
Imagery
Authors may use imagery repeatedly throughout a novel to make a point, convey a theme, or foreshadow a future event. Imagery can be in language or symbolism. A trained reader should be able to spot the author's use of imagery and how it conveys the intended theme.
Elements of A Story
This is how the story flows, or how it is organized. It is commonly referred to as structure, and
present in every book from a picture book to a novel, in more or less complex forms. It is good to keep in mind when reading or writing a story.
INTRODUCTION
The beginning of the story, where the characters, setting, point of view and sometimes themes and purpose are introduced.
COMPLICATION/ CONFLICT/ PROBLEM
A story would indeed be dull if there was never anything to grab the reader. A complication should be introduced right away, while the characters and setting are still fresh. There are often many of these in a long and complicated novel. Note that a conflict can be between characters- such as the good guy and the bad guy, an action, a situation, or between a character and him or her self (an intrapersonal conflict). Thus conflict can be with self, other characters, or the setting.
RISING ACTION
A perhaps unnecessary distinction, this is everything between the conflict and the climax. Here the story begins to take shape, and problems or conflicts are being solved or coming to a head.
CLIMAX
This is a swift nemesis, the problem becomes violent or is almost solved. The climax is far from the most important element of the story, but it must be there. In some cases the climax is near the beginning of the book (Wuthering Heights) or in another unusual place but it is most commonly at the end, sometimes at the very end (the trial in A Tale of Two Cities). Often there is very little left after the climax and all that is needed is some resolution.
FALLING ACTION
Certainly absent in some stories, like rising action falling action is defined only as a matter of preference. In some stories it is rather profound and unexpected (Great Expectations) following the climax. It is usually one of the shorter parts of the book.
DENOUEMENT/RESOLUTION
Denouement is a French term (pronounced day-noo-mah) meaning the typing up of loose ends. The best examples are in books like David Copperfield or A Tale of Two Cities, and in some cases it is done more artfully. The resolution may only become apparent after the book is finished suddenly, one it occurs to the reader that the explanation has already been introduced (The Shawshank Redemption or Great Expectations). In some cases there is a lack of denouement due to a swift and unexpected ending of the story (Lord of the Flies or Oliver Twist). The way that an author makes use of denouement is certainly left to his or her style.
Dictionaries of Literary Terms
For more specific terms, try these web sites:
Full definitions and examplesTerms for analysis of verse and basic grammatical terms.
Definitions and examples.
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