RISE OF THE NOVEL

The rise of the novel in the 18th century was influenced by various factors
- Storytelling tradition began with wandering storytellers, minstrels, and singers
- Storytellers changed details of stories to fit the culture and society of the location
they were in
- Novels have local interest and are rooted in specific places
- Stories were first written down in the late Middle Ages and early modern period as
fiction
- Classical antiquity and plays also contributed to the development of storytelling and
fiction

The novel in medieval times was influenced by romances, allegories, and religious
stories, and the circulation of stories was made easier by the printing press.
- Allegories were important and connected to the church and the Bible
- King Arthur and his knights were a popular story in England
- The legend of Troy was also a well-known story
- The printing press made it easier to circulate stories
- Increased literacy and interest in trade also contributed to the circulation of stories
- Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is an early collection of stories.

The rise of the novel in English was influenced by various texts including Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales, Mallory's La Morte d'Arthur, Cervantes' Don Quixote, and
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
- Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Mallory's La Morte d'Arthur were early examples
of the novel in English
- Cervantes' Don Quixote, translated into English, contributed to the rise of the novel
in England
- Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory about a pilgrim's journey to God, also had
realistic elements and contributed to the rise of the novel in English
- Other writers such as Langley, Delaney, Dekker, and Nashe also contributed to the
rise of the novel in English with their middle and lower class fiction
The development of English prose style was influenced by the Royal Society and the
authorized version of the Bible
- The authorized version of the Bible, authorized by King James I, gave us a prose
style particular to English
- The Royal Society demonstrated how science works and helped shape realistic
elements in prose
- During the Elizabethan era, drama dominated and influenced the presentation of
character and dialogue in later novels

The Renaissance era influenced the development of the novel through mixing
genres and character development
- Tragedy and comedy were mixed in the Renaissance era, leading to the possibility
of mixing genres in novels
- Well-developed characters were introduced in periodicals and essays, contributing
to the development of the novel
- Didacticism and reform were central themes in periodical essays and early novels,
influencing the purpose of the novel
- Robinson Crusoe, one of the earliest novels, introduced a new form and content,
but also raised post-colonial criticism due to its portrayal of domination over natives

Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels reflect the 18th century's travel and empire
building era
- Robinson Crusoe inspired similar novels in other cultures
- Gulliver's Travels satirizes different societies and cultures
- Novels can be adapted for different audiences, like Harry Potter and Gulliver's
Travels

English prose in novels can convey character development and truths, exemplified
by Robinson Crusoe and Samuel Richardson
- Robinson Crusoe shows how prose can convey character growth and interactions
with the environment
- Samuel Richardson's Pamela, written in epistolary form, defends the protagonist's
beauty against her master's advances
- Pamela's mental state of helplessness, anger, and powerlessness is conveyed
successfully through seven volumes of letters
- The novel ends happily with Pamela getting married to her master, despite the
story being considered boring in the 21st century

Samuel Richardson's novels explore the mental state of the hero and aim to improve
the position of women
- Richardson was interested in reforming society and saw powerlessness leading to
social evils
- Pamela and Clarissa are precursors to the novel of sensibility and explore the
mental state of the hero
- Richardson's didactic purpose was to improve the position of women in society
- Henry Fielding's novels Joseph Andrews and Tom Jones are bildungsroman and
picaresque novels
- Fielding's novels follow the character of a rogue as he goes through various
adventures and eventually achieves happiness

Fielding's Joseph Andrews and Tom Jones feature a young hero who eventually
becomes a respectable member of society
- Fielding came from a higher class and had a more lighthearted view of life than
Richardson
- Joseph Andrews is a more enjoyable read than Richardson's Pamela
- Fielding was a chronicler of the social state of England and a gentler satirist than
Jonathan Swift
- Tobias Smollett started the style of caricature in the novel and experimented with
the idea of the novel
- Laurence Sterne destroyed the idea of chronological sequencing and influenced
James Joyce and Charles Dickens

The 18th century novel gave rise to a multitude of forms, including the gothic,
domestic, and sociological novel
- Several novelists emerged during this period, including Oliver Goldsmith, Laurence
Sterne, and Mary Shelley
- Women writers also began to write novels, such as Ann Radcliffe and Fanny
Burney
- The novel became a dominant form of literature and was used to critique and
reform society
- Features of the 18th century novel include realism, episodic and epistolary
structures, and strong characterization