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THE NOVEL
Floriana Camarda IV B
THE NOVEL: AN EXPRESSION OF THE SOCIETY
Historical period
The rise of a new class
A new genre : the novel
The importance of the
novel nowadays
THE AUGUSTAN AGE
The first half of 18th is best known as the
Augustan Age . This indicates its
classical outlook related to the golden
age of Roman Empire , under the
emperor Augustus . The British ruling
class looked upon themselves as the true
heir of the Roman Empire, for this
reason Neoclassicism became a style of
life and it was reflected in poetry ,
painting and architecture .
This period was mainly characterized by:
• A belief in Reason as able of imposing order
on an otherwise chaotic world and
considered as an instrument to free man
from fears and prejudices.
• Augustans represented Nature as a
balanced composition of objects . Nature
was civilized by man.
• Upper-class women acquired
importance(they took part in debates)
• The 18th century was also the age of the
Grand Tour , the journey across Europe
that well educated young men and women
used to take for pleasure and instruction.
• The Augustan Age saw the diffusion of
newspapers and magazines and the rise of
novel ,considered instruments of knowledge
for middle-class people.
DAVID ALLAN
THE MIDDLE CLASS
The middle class had been increasing in importance since the
16th century , and after the Glorious Revolution it merged into
aristocracy. There was no violent conflict between the two
classes. Rich tradesmen bought estates and , with them , seats
in Parliament , while their sons and daughters married into
aristocracy . In the 18th century this class , made up of traders
, merchants , bankers, grew up in power and prestige thanks
to the development of foreign and colonial trade. The great
Augustan artists such as Alexander Pope and William
Hogarth were critical about the rise of the middle class, with
its bad taste and cult of money . For this new class was
important improving their manners and language, being
elegant and learning the strict rules of behaviour . In fact ,
lacked a cultural background , they tried to acquire it from the
pages of newspapers and magazines and attending clubs and
coffee- houses where they discussed current events. An other
important instrument of knowledge was the novel.
THE NOVEL
The most innovative genre in 18th century was the novel , for
this reason this period was also called The Age of Prose . A
novel is a fictitious prose narrative presenting a picture of
real life . The need of realism represents the greatest
difference between 18th century novels and the prose
romances of Middle Ages and Renaissance’s romances . The
novel satisfied the need of middle class which demanded
original stories related to ordinary experiences . The new
reading public wanted to read stories which reflected their
own interests and problems with characters they could
more or less identify with.
The characters were people who
lived in a world they shared
with their readers: Robinson
Crusoe (Daniel Defoe)is a
middle-class hero , full of
commercial wisdom and able to
survive using only his physical
and mental resources. He is the
example of modern tradesman.
Women were often the heroines of
novels(Pamela by Samuel
Richardson) and also avid readers
of them . In fact they had more
spare time to spend in reading .
The novel was considered a brief
escape from the prison of
domesticity.
The idea of travelling is also
central in Jonathan Swift’s
utopian fiction , Gulliver’s
travels .Though his travels
are through a surrealistic
world, this book reflects the
desire of 18th century British
men an women travelling
physically and mentally.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NOVEL NOWADAYS
After the 18th century , the novel continued to satisfy the
society’s needs and at the same time to represent a sort of
its portrait .The novel , in fact , has always adapted itself to
the several necessities of a society in continuous evolution .
We often affirm that :“nowadays the writing has been
gradually substituted by images ” . I don’t think so . I think
that the novel still covers an important role , not only for
our instruction . For example , the wide diffusion of
fantasy and of magical realism(in which magical elements
or illogical scenarios appear in an otherwise realistic or
even "normal" setting ) genre , testifies the need to escape
from the problems of our world and the desire to discover a
better and more exciting life , right what was searched by
middle-class’ women in 18th century . So in the end the
novel was . is and will always be the better expression of
the society.
Images:
•2nd slide: Will James monument , William Hogarth-Marriage
à la Mode (the Marriage Contract),Jean-Honoré Fragonard –A
Young Girl Reading;
•3rd slide : Will James monument;
•4th slide : painting by David Allan;
•5th slide :William Hogarth- The Rake’s Progress (1-2);
•6th slide :A portable Bookstall (from a print );
•7th slide : Joseph Highmore (Pamela);