Theme. Structure
The theme of a novel is often defined as the central philosophical or moral idea of a novel (what the novel is really about). The reader responds to the theme by interpreting , the characters, the symbolism, in short, all the element of the novel working together. Identifying the theme is often a subjective, personal process. Readers hardly ever disagree about the plot of a novel, but they sometimes disagree about the theme.
The theme is a part of the personal response of the reader to the novel or the story.
When you are thinking about the theme of a book, it is worth asking yourself: “Why did the novelist give the book this name?” In some cases the central themes of the book are presented in the title: “Pride and Prejudice” by J. Austen; “The winter of our discontent” by J. Steinbeck.
One more way of saying what theme a book has is to analyse the author’s interest in certain aspects of life. Authors usually show their interest by writing in detail or by devoting a great deal of space to some things. For ex., the detail in which G. Eliot and H. James write about how their characters change, grow etc., shows that their interests include moral and psychological development.
Some other themes crop up in very many novels. There are, for instance, numerous novels that deal with love, growing up, or conflicts. But, of course, it is not enough to say: ‘This novel is about growing up’. What you must show is how an author handles that theme.
Novels, as well as poets, employs symbols. A repeated symbol can give expression to a central theme of the novel. It is a good idea to ask the following question: “Is there a repeated symbol in this novel and what is its significance?”. For ex., the changing symbol of “the green light” in “The Great Gatsby” expresses the theme of the novel.
Authors can give expressions to the themes of novels by stressing certain words. Words used carefully can focus the meaning of a novel and take the reader to the heart of the author’s concern. If the meaning of a novel is focused in a particular word, you will find that it is used in the climax.
“Is there an important word here that focuses the central theme of the book?” - this question should be asked when you analyse the climax of the novel. One of the cleverest guides to the themes of a novel is what the characters say. Particular speeches focus the main concerns of the plot. Events can also express the themes of books. This is particularly the case with the climax of a novel. Not all the significant events in a book have to be dramatic. An author can write about an ordinary, everyday event in such a way as to bring out that it is very important. For ex., T.Draiser’s short story “The Second Choice”.
Tasks:
• Consider how appropriate are the titles of the novels you are studying.
• Look at the novels you are studying to see if there are any symbols that express the theme of the book.
• Write about the central speeches and events of the novels you are studying, bringing out how they express their themes.
Structure refers to the way a novel is organized, the way various elements are combined together to make a complete novel.
Novels from previous centuries tended to follow the chronological order of events (from beginning to end, in the order they would occur in real time). This is still a common way of telling a story, but modern writers often structure their novels in a non-chronological way, with the result that the narrative order and the chronological order are not the same. Previous events outside the time-scale of the novel are included as flashbacks (either through the characters’ thoughts, conversation or the narrator’s comments).
Developments later in the story can be suggested through anticipation.
________ ____________________________ _________
flashbacks start of novel end of novel anticipation
Changing the narrator or point of view will change the structure radically. Modern novelists sometimes employ multiple narrators and points of view. This means there are almost infinite ways of structuring the same story.
