While reading a novel we should look out for some elements that help us better understand the narrative text. First of all we have to consider where and when the story is set. Place setting can be interior or exterior and time setting usually refers to the time of the day, the season, the year. The “story” is the sequence of events that are not always presented in chronological order. the order chosen by the writer is the plot and he also chooses how to tell his story. Sometimes he uses dialogue, sometimes description or narration. The point of view … Continua a leggere THE FEATURES OF A NARRATIVE TEXT

In the 18th century circulating libraries became very important since more and more people could read. Readers mainly belonged to the middle classes so they wanted to read about the practical needs of the different trades, stories of pirates and thieves, books dealing with journeys to distant countries but also political pamphlets and newspapers. For this reason the literature of the 18th century reflected the intellectual progress of the period. Writing became a profession and writers wrote long prose narratives known as novels. novels were about fictional but plausible events and realistic characters which mirrored the life of a middle … Continua a leggere THE RISE OF THE NOVEL