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 prominent but weaved subtly into the narrative, so that it is more effectively instilled in the readers. It is only when the plot is gripping, will the issue dealt with be assimilated more forcefully. After all, the primary interest of any novel is fundamentally determined by the intensity of the interest generated by its plot. It is therefore vital for the success of any social novel, be it commercially or ideologically, not to be overtly didactic or reformist.

 

2.       Characters would be for the most part drawn from the middle or the lower walks of life, invariably from the proletarian classes. The obvious reason being that it was they who were most traumatized by the exploitation resulting from the industrial revolution, which in fact was the factor that inspired this variety of fiction into vogue in the first place. It must however be noted that social problems dealt with in social novels are by no means confined to those exclusively concerning the working classes, but deal with a wide array of topics.

 

3.       The effectiveness of any social novel to a large extent depends on how faithfully aspects of real life are depicted in the plot. It is therefore a telling hallmark of most social novels that the events and characters represented are done so realistically as through a photographic lens. The plot would invariably be configured in such a way so as to offer a verisimilitude of life, with emphasis laid on highlighting facets that cast light on the social issue under consideration.

 

4.       Far from merely serving as a material backdrop to the events in the plot, the milieu in a social novel is projected as social in character. This is to say, the social message of the book would be encoded in the description of its setting. Like the characters and incidents, the milieu also actively contributes to the overall impact of the novel, constituting a catalyst of sort. In fact, often enough the milieu turns out to be the most telling aspect of the plot with regard to the ideological impression that the work seeks to impart. The scenes of London delineated in Oliver Twist, especially those depicting the city’s underworld, are noteworthy in this regard.