18th Century Novel: Evolution, Subgenres, Key Authors & Characteristics
18th Century Novel: Evolution, Subgenres, and Key Authors
Developments in Novelistic Form
The 18th century saw several key developments in the novel:
- Epistolary Novels: These novels, based on fictional letters exchanged between characters, often intersected with historical figures.
- Autobiographical Novels: Some authors wrote fictional autobiographies, while others documented their own lives in a style approaching the novelistic.
Emergence of Subgenres
Several subgenres emerged during this period:
- Travel and Adventure Novels: Continuing the tradition of Baroque storytelling, these novels featured bourgeois characters and a prevailing atmosphere of realism.
- Novels of Ideas: These novels served as vehicles for exploring Enlightenment philosophies.
- Sentimental Novels: Focusing on the complexities of romantic relationships from a female perspective.
- Erotic Novels: These novels centered on the sexual experiences of their characters.
The English Novel
The English novel developed a distinct narrative world characterized by:
- Ordinary Protagonists: Shifting away from heroes and royalty, the focus shifted to everyday individuals.
- Psychological Focus: The narrative emphasized the analysis and explanation of the protagonist’s behavior and personality.
- Realism: Authors prioritized detailed descriptions and a sense of verisimilitude.
- Accessible Language: Literary language evolved into a more direct and communicative tool.
Key English Authors
- Daniel Defoe: Considered the initiator of the English novel with Robinson Crusoe, which explores the human capacity to transform nature through work, reason, and civilization. Defoe aimed to entertain while raising awareness of exotic locales within the expanding British Empire.
- Jonathan Swift: Expressing a deep skepticism towards human nature, Swift penned Gulliver’s Travels, a satirical masterpiece that critiques humanity’s inherent corruption and flaws through four fantastical voyages.
- Samuel Richardson: Pamela, an epistolary novel, presents a moralizing tale of a young woman’s social ascent through virtue, while also offering insights into the role of women in bourgeois society.
- Henry Fielding: Joseph Andrews showcases the genre’s growing maturity, employing parody and irony to satirize sentimental novels and other narrative conventions.
- Laurence Sterne: Sterne’s work marks a culmination of irony, parody, and satire in the English novel. His unconventional approach is evident in the lack of a traditional plot, frequent time jumps, and incorporation of non-literary elements.
The French Novel
The French novel, sometimes blurring genre lines, featured prominent authors such as:
- Prévost: Known for Manon Lescaut, Prévost explored the limitations of love and sexuality as foundations for happiness, incorporating elements of both 17th-century and newer narrative styles.
- Laclos: Dangerous Liaisons introduced significant innovations, including perspectivism, diverse linguistic registers, and psychological depth, foreshadowing Romantic sensibilities.
- Voltaire: Voltaire’s narratives, exemplified by Candide, are characterized by brevity, symbolism, allegory, social critique, and exotic settings.
- Rousseau: Rousseau’s Emile proposes a nature-based education system fostering personal happiness and social contribution. Julie, or the New Heloise explores passionate love, spiritual tension, and the tragic consequences of societal constraints.
18th-Century Poetry and Theater
Poetry
18th-century poets used verse to explore social issues, human relationships, art, and satire. Key forms included:
- Doctrinal Poetry: Poets like Voltaire expressed reformist ideas in verse.
- Fables: Used to convey a new morality emphasizing honesty, hard work, and merit, with Spanish author Samaniego as a notable example.
- Satirical Poetry: Critical and controversial, with English poet Alexander Pope as a key figure.
- Occasional Poetry: Ranging from frivolous to celebratory, this type of poetry often focused on trivial matters or praised prominent individuals.
Theater
Theater played a vital role in disseminating ideas to the bourgeois public. Key characteristics included:
- Classical Unities: Adherence to the unities of action, place, and time.
- Verisimilitude: Emphasis on realism and plausibility.
- Decorum: Characters’ language reflected their social class.
- Genre Separation: Avoidance of mixing tragic and comic elements.
Preromanticism
In the late 18th century, preromanticism emerged, anticipating the Romantic movement of the 19th century by prioritizing emotion. This shift led to an emphasis on passionate expression, dramatic natural settings, and the author’s personal voice.