Lesson - 1

p10131 An Introduction to Novels

    This lesson gives an introduction to novels and the types of novels. Novels were introduced by the Europeans who came to India during the 18th century. Christian missionaries used this form of writing to spread Christianity among the people. The word "Novel" is said to have been derived from the Italian word "novella". "Pamela" authored by Samuel Richardson in 1741 is considered to be the first published novel. "Prataapa Mudaliar Sarithiram" was the first novel to be published in Tamil by Vedanaayagam Pillai. The arrival of Kalki èô¢è¤ and Agilan Üè¤ôù¢ saw a lot of changes in the Tamil novel.

    A novel consists of a plot and characters that form the plot. The plot is the basis of a novel. There is usually a theme on which the novel is based. This theme varies from novel to novel. Day to day incidents, historical events and psychological aspects could form themes of a novel. Plots are classified as loose plots and organic plots. The background for a novel is also classified as social background and material background.

    Characters form an important constituent of a novel. These characters give life to the novel. Characters are classified as major characters, minor characters, and characters without names. According to E.M. Forster, characters are of two types namely - Flat character and Round character. The character "Aravindan" N. Parthasaarathy's "Kurinji Malar" is an example of a flat character. A round character is a character that changes as the story progresses.

    A Novelist uses various techniques. An important technique used in the beginning of the 20th is the Stream of consciousness. James Joyce's "Ulysses" is an example of this technique. The novelist brings out his skill by the style of his writing and the dialogues spoken by the characters.

    This lesson has given us an introduction to novels. The history of novels, the first novel published and the first Tamil novel are also discussed. Hence this lesson gives us a brief introduction to the aspects of a novel.