Understanding the Essay: Characteristics and Literary Style
As Ortega y Gasset stated, an essay is a ‘scientific dissertation without explicit proof.’ The term ‘scientifically’ refers to the purpose of reflecting deeply and methodically about reality. Unlike other genres through specialized study, the essay prioritizes personal and self-reflection, waiving rigor and completeness (without explicit proof), with the purpose of making the reader think and suggest new ideas.
Others have defined it as a study being presented with humility, without definitive conclusions, in meditation, and with openness to further elaboration. Highlighting that the essay takes the form of pure reflection (as interested in the intellectual process of confrontation with the subject of reflection and the pursuit of knowledge), it can take on the following features:
- An essay presents an author’s personal view on an issue.
- Perspective is chosen by the author, framing and giving value to the message.
- The interest of the subject lies in the peculiar approach, since it provides the author’s unique perspective. This gives way to subjectivity.
- The author is the protagonist: scanning an item, interpreting, and judging from their usual perspective.
- There are frequent references to the first person and the presence of evaluative adjectives, reflecting the personality, ideology, tastes, and aversions of the essayist.
Openness to Controversy
The views and opinions of the author are debatable. Being personal, the author seeks to oppose the discussion to other points of view, refuting their ideas and aiming to reach arguments. The author also renounces comprehensiveness and rigor in the treatment of the topic, and stays with suggestion.
Importance of the Reader
The target audience is always broad, without detailed knowledge on the subject but with some interest and willingness to learn. The essay seeks simplicity in exhibition and reflection, provoking amenity that often characterizes this genre. The essay seeks more than to transmit knowledge: it aims to inform and dialogue through the author’s thoughts on the issues they propose.
Variety in Essays
Essays are variable in extent, in their publication, on the subject, and in tone. Even the approach and attitude are diverse: it is proposed to present profound insights into the reality of life, while others are concerned with everyday problems.
Open Internal Structure
The structure is free and does not meet any conventional pre-established scheme. Any line of thought flows freely, not in any established order. The liveliness of thought is of interest in essay discourse. Essays are also characterized by the richness and variety of the elements that they incorporate.
Style
Style is conceived as the expression of a personal and subjective will, prevailing in the discourse of each essayist. It is impossible to define linguistic features that appear consistently in all essays; the language used depends on the preferences of the author. The author can use all resources to suggest style and move the reader’s mind (comparisons, synesthesia, similes, metaphors…). The further the language and form of expression are from studies and treatises, the closer the essay comes to truly being considered a literary genre.