TYPES OF NOVEL – SOCIAL
Social novel exemplifies a type of novel in which the plot deals with social affairs that concern the public at large. The 19 th century, specifically the later half when the industrial revolution was at its peak marks the heyday of this novelistic variety in English literature. The novelist Charles Dickens is widely recognized by one and all as the most famous exponent of this genre. His noteworthy works such as Oliver Twist (1838), Nicholas Nickleby (1839), David Copperfield (1850) and Hard Times (1854) are identified as some of the most impressive instances of social novels in English. 1. The novel primarily focuses on bringing to light social issues or problems with the avowed objective of creating an awareness in the minds of the readers. The ultimate goal in view is of course to compel a redemptive measure towards reformation. In the best social novels however, the social problem or the issue is not self-consciously made ...