Main element in a novel :

1.Story/ plot; 2. Setting; 3. Character; 4.narrator; 5. Point of view; 6.language and

style;7. Theme
1.
 Plot – the arrangement of events in a story
 Story- the chronological order of events
The plot usually follows a particular structure called Freytag’s Pyramid. Gustav Freytag, a
German playwright who lived during the 1800s, identified this structure.
Freytag’s Pyramid has five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
denouement, also known as resolution.

Exposition is an introduction to the characters, time, and the problem. At the point where
exposition moves into rising action a problem, sometimes called an inciting incident,
occurs for the main character to handle or solve. This creates the beginning of the story.
Rising action includes the events that the main character encounters. Each event,
developed in separate scenes, makes the problem more complex.
Climax is the turning point in the story. Usually, it is a single event with the greatest
intensity and uncertainty. The main character must contend with the problem at this point.
Falling action includes the events that unfold after the climax. This usually creates an
emotional response from the reader.
Denouement or resolution provides closure to the story. It ties up loose ends in the story.
2.
Setting : The background in which the story takes place.
Place: This is the geographical location of the story. Since novels are lengthy, the story
may move from one place to another. When asked to describe the setting, you may give the
general geographical location (e.g., in a novel which takes place in numerous locations
around Italy, you may mention only the country) or you may describe several specific
locations.
Time: First, this refers to the period of history, if the story is set in the past. If the story
could happen now or at some recent unspecified time, we say that it is "contemporary." If it
is a science fiction story, it may be set in the future. When describing setting, be as specific
as the author is. Novels usually span (take place over) a much longer period of time than
short stories, so you may need to say that a novel's setting in time is from 1937 to 1956.
When describing the setting of a portion of the novel, you may be able to specify the
season, month, and even time of day.
Climate/Weather: This is an aspect of setting which is often forgotten, but it can be
important to the novel. If the story begins in the midst of a hurricane, it is significant to the
story.
Lifestyle: This refers to the daily life of the characters. If a story takes place in a
particular historical period, the lifestyle of the characters (e.g., whether they are poor
farmers or residents of the the court is part of the setting.
3.
Character: the people, animal, robots, etc., who take part in the action of the story.
Presentation: direct- description; indirect- actions, behaviour
Flat – static
Round- dynamic play an important role, often the lead roles in stories. They are complex,
dimensional, and well-developed. The stories are about them; therefore, pages of writing
will be about them. They often change by going through a life-changing experience as the
story unfolds.
4.
Narrator
First person = authenticity, involvement, internal . First-person point of view means that
one of the characters in the story will narrate–give an account–of the story. The narrator
may be the protagonist, the main character. Writing in first-person point of view brings the
readers closer to the story. They can read it as if they are the character because personal
pronouns like I, me, my, we, us, and our are used.
Third Person = external observer Third-person point of view means that the narrator is
not in the story. The third-person narrator is not a character. Third-person point of view
can be done two ways:
 Third-person limited
 Third-person omniscient
Third-person limited means that the narrator limits him/herself by being able to be in one
character’s thoughts.  Whereas, third-person omniscient means the narrator has unlimited
ability to be in various character’s thoughts.  Writing in third-person point of view removes
readers from the story because of the pronouns he, she, it, him, her, his, hers, they, them,
and theirs.
5. Point of View Fixed = single perspective -Shifting = multiple perspectives -Wide =
omniscent narrator Narrow = non-omniscent narrator
6. Language and Style
Style = way to tell the story / Dialogues / Descriptions / Narration / Association of Ideas /
Language / Syntax = simple or complex /Sentences = short or long / Vocabulary = realistic
or symbolical
7. Theme
Main TOPIC of the story through: Characters Events
The 18th century novel
18th century novel shared the following feature

 Events were usually narrated in chronological sequence

 The novel, which was primarily concerned with everything that could alter social
status, was particularly appealing to the practical-minded tradesman, who was self-
made and sel-reliant
 Narration was in the first person (the narrator and the protagonist are the same
person) or the third person (the narrator is omniscient)
 The setting was given great attention, with specific references to names of countries,
streets and towns
 References were made to particular times of the year or of the day
 All the characters were given contemporary names and surnames to reinforce the
impression of realism, and they struggled either for survival or for social success
 The hero of the novel was always the bourgeois man, with his problems. He was
generally the mouthpiece of his author and the reader was expected to sympathise
with him
 The language was simple and factual , in order to to be understood even by less
educated readers