Introduction to the Novel

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL
Before there is a meaningful discussion about the novel at any level, it is important to look at the key concepts of the genre. This is basically to equip the learner with the concepts and terms that he/she will constantly refer to or come across during this exercise of analysis. It should be noted that about five aspects are crucial to the study of the novel. These include: theme, characterisation, plot, narrative technique and setting. This section aims at defining these items with the view of making them familiar to the students.

DEFINITION OF A NOVEL
A novel is defined as a creative work of prose fiction, especially one that is relatively realistic. The key concept in this definition is prose fiction. This relates to the appearance of the novel. That is to say it is written in sentences, paragraphs and chapters as opposed to lines in poetry and dialogues and monologues in drama.

However, this does not mean that any piece of writing in prose is a novel. It has to be fictional and of a certain length. Length distinguishes it from a short story which is a story of not more than 30 pages on one hand and a novella a story of between 40-80 pages on the other hand. This therefore means that a novel is a prose fiction of from 80 pages to infinite.

Therefore a proper definition of the novel would be an extended fictional prose narrative. The extension allows it more scope to present the plot, character, setting and theme. This is usually through the use of a wide range of narrative content and style. From this perspective, there are about three types of novels.
THE BIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL
This is the type of novel in which the story of a single character is told. The narration could be by the character him/herself like in the case of Jane Eyre, where Jane tells her story since she was ten and an orphan living with Mrs. Reed to when she marries Mr. Rochester, or by the omniscient narrator in the case of Kosiya Kifefe which traces the life of Kifefe in the colonial and post colonial Uganda.

THE SOCIAL NOVEL
This is a type that creates a social consciousness of diverse characters about an important social issue that affects their societies. The characters are normally presented in as far as they can project the social problems or as their lives illuminate these problems. An example include the novel like No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe. In this novel the trials and tribulations of Obi, an idealistic young man set against corruption but who ends up being corrupted, are used to explain the causes and consequences of corruption in post independent African societies. The same applies to God’s Bits of Wood, in which Sembene Ousmane brings together characters from diverse backgrounds like Naikoro, Keita, Penda and many others to expose the exploitation and oppression of the Blacks by the Europeans among many issues.

THE PICARESQUE NOVEL
This is a type of novel that narrates the adventures of the leading character so that the readers not only enjoy the adventures but also learn important lessons from their lives and experiences. The case in point is Don Quixote and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In these novels, the reader is taken from one breathtaking escapade of the leading character to another. The escapades are normally funny and interesting, but underneath this humour is a serious moral lessons for the readers. For example the segregation because of class of Hackberry Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF THE NOVEL
As we have pointed out earlier, the study of the novel involves a clear understanding of five major concepts. These are: the theme, character, style, plot and setting. The five mentioned above work hand in hand to produce the total effect of the novel to the readers. In other words the total meaning of a novel is not complete until each of the above aspects are analysed and their relationships to each other are established.

THEME
This is the main idea or the writer’s purpose of writing the story, usually expressed as a general statement. This means that it is the central idea or message that the writer sets out to pass over to the readers. It is sometimes referred to as the moral lesson of the story. In some novels, the theme is stated in a direct and explicit manner. In others, the theme is implied-that is to say- it is revealed gradually through the actions of the characters, plot, symbolism, setting and point of view.

For example in God’s Bits of Wood, Kieta’s statement that, “there is no longer a difference between animals and ourselves…” is an implied thematic statement that is developed through setting, point of view and character to justify the need to fight against exploitation and oppression among the many issues the novel addresses. Kifefe’s success in Kosiya Kifefe is to most readers unmerited, and in this lies Gakwandi’s theme of the absurdity of western education and its consequence of producing half-baked and materialistic individuals.

The student should never lose focus on the fundamental concept that the theme is the main aspect of the novel and the reason why any writer writes. The other aspects are as important as they can help the writer to communicate his message to the readers. Therefore, it is important to understand that other aspects such as setting, character and style are used by the writer to enable him pass over his theme.

SETTING
Setting is defined as the time and place of or in which the events of the novel occur. Setting often creates the context, atmosphere or mood of the story. Setting may seem simplistic at the first glance. But it is more than the time and place of the action of the story. Students should note that it is correct to assume that the setting of Jane Eyre is England, but proper analysis requires that one goes beyond the macro setting of England and look at the micro setting: of places like Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield and Fernden and their impact on the development of character and themes of suffering, love and marriage in the novel.

Setting also establishes the context of the novel. This is specifically true of the time setting. At different times of history, there have been different issues of concern. Therefore, the time of the story gives the reader a perception of what are the critical issues at the time. For example 18th century England was the time of the industrial revolution, and this background is very valuable in the analysis of texts like Sons and Lovers and Bleak House because Dickens and Lawrence address the socio-political issues that arouse out of the industrial revolution and how it affect people.

CHARACTER
These are the fictional people about whom the story is told in the novel. Characters are of several kinds in the novel. There are those who reveal only one personality trait, like Dejean in God’s Bits of Wood. These are called flat characters. Their role in the novel is to project a certain attribute-whether positive or negative- to the readers.

Then are the characters who show varied traits-appearing almost like real human beings with positive and negative attributes. These are called round characters. For example Rochester in Jane Eyre is such a character. He is loving and at the same time deceitful.

Characters can be static, that is to say that they remain the same through the story or can be dynamic- that is to say they can change. For example, Obi in No Longer at Ease changes from being an idealistic young man to a corrupt official. Whereas others like, Kifefe, never changes in the course of the novel. He remains an opportunist that he even flukes going to heaven by accepting to be saved at the very moment he is about to die.

Another point of character worth mentioning is the concept of protagonist (hero) on one hand and the antagonist (the villain) on the other hand. The protagonist is the leading or central character in the story who generally has the readers’ sympathise and who they can relate to, because of what he does or what is done to him. The reverse of the protagonist is the antagonist who is opposed to the central character and most often, the one responsible for the difficulties of the hero.

Related to character is the issue of characterisation. This is the method or the way that the writer uses to present the character to the readers and to develop their personality and character traits. There are two option and it is important to state that they are not mutually exclusive. One of these methods is direct characterisation where the writer makes direct comments about the personality of the character. For example the opening statement in Things Fall Apart, “Okonkwo was known throughout the nine villages of Umofia and his popularity was based on his personal achievement.” This direct comment shows the reader that Okonkwo is popular man and hard working at that.

The other method of revealing the attributes of the character is the indirect method. This is when the character’s personality is revealed through what he says, do or what other characters say or think about him. For example when Old Bakary says of Bakayoko that, “ sometimes I wonder whether you have a heart…” he is telling us that Bakayoko is heartless, an attribute that is justified in the context of the struggle to liberate themselves from the tyranny of capitalistic exploitation.

PLOT
This is the sequence of events in a novel, whereby each event cause or lead to the next event. The plot normally starts with the exposition. This is the stage when the characters, the setting, and context is introduced to the readers. For example in Kosiya Kifefe, the narrator on the first page tells us, “Kifefe had decided long ago to make 1941 his year of birth…” Right away, what type of person Kifefe is, is introduced to the readers and more importantly that the leading character is Kifefe- the same name as the title of the novel.

After the exposition, the next important aspect of the plot of the novel is the narrative hook. This is the point in the novel at which the author catches the readers attention, by either presenting an intriguing problem or introducing an important character. For example in God’s Bits of Wood the arrival of Bakayoko at Thies and the role he plays in the strike directly there after is an example of the narrative hook. Every readers attention on coming across him, is curious to understand his reputation and therefore pays close attention to what he does thereafter.

After the narrative hook, the story must develop the action in a rising manner until it reaches the climax of the narrative. This is the highest emotional point. For example in God’s Bits of Wood, the meeting at the sea in Dakar is the climax-the point at which final solution of the strike is got-the general strike by all the other workers in support for the train men. From this point the plot moves to a resolution and the presentation of the final outcome of the conflict.

POINT OF VIEW
It is important to understand that the author writes the novel, but the stories in the novel is not told by the writers. The author hides behind a mask in telling the story by creating someone to tell the story on his behalf. This mask is what is known as the narrator. The narrator, therefore is the person who tells the story. He/she may be one of the character or an outsider as far as the story is concerned.

The position that the narrator takes in the process of telling the story is what is called the point of view. This is the position or the relationship between the teller of the story and the story itself. One of the common point of view is the first person narrator. This is when one of the characters in the novel is used to tell the story. In this case he is identified by the first person pronoun I. For example the narrator in Jane Eyre is Jane herself and is constantly identified by the I pronoun.

The other points of view include the limited third person and the omniscient narrator. The limited third person is the situation when the narrator reveals the thought of only one character whom he refers to using he or she. The omniscient narrator is when the narrator assumes a Godlike position and reveals not only the thoughts of all characters, but also reports on those actions that take place outside the reach of the reader.

It should be noted that the knowledge of the narrative perspective of the novel is very important to a full comprehension of the novel. This is because it enables the reader to know whether the story is presented objectively, and therefore the actions should speak for themselves on one hand and whether the story is subjective and as such the reader needs the interpretation of the events by the character- the mouthpiece the author has created.

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
It is sometimes referred as the stylistic features of the novel. These are the tools or methods that the writer uses to tell his story. They are only important in as far as they help him communicate his message, develop the plot and characters and expose the setting to the readers. This means they should always be analysed in conjunction with the other elements with particular emphasis put on the extent they help the writer make his point to the reader.

Different writers tell different stories and therefore, they are expected to use different means of doing this. This means that the narrative technique will be chosen by the writer in as much as he/she thinks will help him/her tell the story easily. Nevertheless, there are some common elements of style that are used by the majority of the writers. These include plot, characterisation and setting- aspects that have already been discussed. Apart from the three mentioned above, others include the following:

SATIRE
This is a form of expression that entertainingly attacks the folly or vice or an amusing abusive writing. The writer in one way or another attempts to ridicule an aspect or several aspects of society or human behaviour with the intention of arousing some degree of amused contempt for the aspect. For example in Kosiya Kifefe, Gakwandi satirises several aspects of the Ugandan society like the mediocrity of the educated class and the patriarchal tendencies of men. In this novel Kifefe, the representative of the educated class succeed despite having any abilities but more through luck. He also mistakenly this that his success entitles him to the company of beautiful women.

IRONY
Irony is defined as, “saying one thing and meaning another” or that “ what is stated is in some degree negated by what is suggested” There are several forms of irony that a writer can use. These include verbal irony where one says something while meaning something completely different. Situational irony is a case where the outcome of the situation is the opposite of someone’s expectation. Dramatic irony is a situation where the readers are aware of something that the character is not. For example in A Modest Proposal, Swift employs verbal irony by suggesting that his proposal is simple when actually is complex and for a complicated problem. In Kosiya Kifefe, Gakwandi employs situational irony when Kifefe fails to marry a woman commensurate with his status as he had dreamed to do by virtue of his success.

ANECDOTE
This is a short narrative that usually reports an amusing event in the life of an important person or character. It is intended to entertain or explain an idea or reveal the personality of the character. In God’s Bits of Wood, Sembene uses Houdia M’Baye to tell a story about how her husband teased her on the night she cooked for the family-something is missing. This is used to illustrate the reversed gender roles given the situation where the women are the ones catering for the needs of the family. Another example is told by Doudou in reference to Isnard, when Isnard had told them that they had to make themselves white before they got 15 minutes break for tea. This is used to illustrate racism that the Blacks are subjected to in their relationship with the Whites.

DAILOGUE
This is a technique commonly used in the telling of a story in the novel, whereby the author gets characters to converse. Their conversations are structured in such a way that they either tell the reader about the plot, the character, the theme or the setting. It is safe to bet that almost all novels for one reason or the other use this technique. For example when Rochester tells Jane about his past, Bronte is definitely using dialogue as a narrative technique in Jane Eyre.

FORESHADOWING
This is the use of clues by the writer to prepare readers for events that will happen in the story. The writer normally skilfully sets up things or actions by character that are to precipitate other actions. For example in Kosiya Kifefe, Gakwandi makes Kifefe form a political party in exile, and when he leaves Nairobi for Moshi, the readers anticipate that again Kifefe is going to opportunistically benefit from what he did not contribute to. It is no surprise that at Moshi, he is made a minister, a position he does not deserve knowing that he ran to exile only to save his skin and had benefited from Amin’s regime.

SYMBOLISM
This could be a person, place, experience, action, or situation that is used by the writer to represent something more that it represents in itself. For example in God’s Bits of Wood the ram Vendredi is used as a symbol of exploitation. It eats what it has not sweated for like its master Mabigue. Likewise the rail line is also used as a symbol of the exploitation of the African continent. Because it is a means through which the wealth of the Africans plus their labour is taken away from them.

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
This is a technique of writing that imitates the way the human mind works. It provides a continuous flow of the character’s thoughts, feeling, images, observations and memories. In other words it is the presentation of the character’s unrestricted flow of thoughts. There are several example of this technique in most of the novels on the syllabus. At the point of Kifefe’s death in Kosiya Kifefe, his life is flashes across his mind and it is used by Gakwandi as a way of summarising for the reader Kifefe’s life. The same technique is seen in God’s Bits of Wood when Tiemoko and Bakayoko think about the strike.