Elements Of Novel

What are the elements of a novel? Explain all elements.

In general, the main elements of a novel are as follows: narration, plot, theme, setting, and character.

Narrator- The mind from which all aspects of the story are necessarily told

Theme- one or more direct or indirect statements about the human condition as evidenced through the
work as a whole

Plot- the series of events which make up the story, traditionally, conflict, climax, denouement, and
conclusion

Setting- the place, the time, and the social circumstances of the work.

Tone- The general attitude of the author toward the characters or the subject matter of the book.

Characters- the sentient or non-sentient beings alive or dead who are the actors of the events

Point of View- perspective from which a work is told, 1st 3rd; omniscient, limited.

The elements of a novel are the same elements as that of the short story--plot, theme, setting, point of
view, character--except that there may be more than one of each of these elements. That is, within the
main plot of a novel there may be several subplots, there may be more than one theme, and point of
view can certainly change as well. For instance, in William Faulkner's novel, "The Sound and the Fury,"
the first part of the narrative is recounted by Benjy, a grown man with the intelligence of a small child
whose childhood memories merge with the present occurrences. Then, the point of view switches to
the point of view of Quentin, a stream-of-consciousness not unlike Benjy's, yet somewhat different.
Then, the third part of the novel is narrated by Jason Compson IV, the brother of Quentin, who has
committed suicide. Finally, the fourth section of this novel has yet another narrator.

Themes such as love and passion and pride run throughout Faulkner's novel. replete with many
characters. Thus, the reader of the novel encounters more intracacies of the elements, changing
settings, more complications and much more development of plot and character--even changing points
of view sometimes --than in the short story.

Just as Faulkner's novel reflects life in his beloved South, the English novel traditionally has been
strongly influenced by the social, political, economic, scientific, and cultural history of England. Old
English narratives, such as "Beowulf" and "The Canterbury Tales" are closely connected to the cultural
history of England. Usually, the English novel from the eighteenth century on focuses on the individual
and his/her relationship with his environment. Jane Austen's novels have as their main focus the society
in which her characters live. His/her personal emotions are often closely examined, as well with
characterization is highly developed in the English novel as in those of Charles Dickens and Thomas
Hardy, for example.