Question

write the a critical note on the evolution of the british novel

Answer 1

This question is difficult to answer as there is debate about when the "novel" began and what constitutes a novel. The general agreement is that the novel form began with Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe which is the first writing which was not based on historical characters familiar to all in a different telling of the old story. DeFoe's character was new and his whole life explained in mundane detail which had not been done before. The writings before DeFoe were not about NEW characters or NEW stories of one person's life, so Robinson Crusoe fits the criteria for first novel. The next person who fits the criteria would be Samuel Richardson and his novel Pamela which becomes successful leading to Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones. With the now established success of novels, other writers began to follow the new idea of writing novels. The 18th century had several factors which also helped the idea of a novel such as the rise of realism, the rise of the middle class and literacy which wanted affordable fiction. However you write your presentation, include the idea of what was different about the first novel, why novels became popular, which authors would be included as I have not included them all, and why the 18th century was an ideal time for the concept of the Scientific Revolution lending its ideas to the creation of a new form of writing in the development of the British novel.

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Answer 2

The general agreement is that the novel form began with Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe which is the first writing which was not based on historical characters familiar to all in a different telling of the old story. DeFoe's character was new and his whole life explained in mundane detail which had not been done before. The general agreement is that the novel form began with Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe which is the first writing which was not based on historical characters familiar to all in a different telling of the old story. DeFoe's character was new and his whole life explained in mundane detail which had not been done before. The writings before DeFoe were not about NEW characters or NEW stories of one person's life, so Robinson Crusoe fits the criteria for first novel. The next person who fits the criteria would be Samuel Richardson and his novel Pamela which becomes successful leading to Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones. With the now established success of novels, other writers began to follow the new idea of writing novels. The 18th century had several factors which also helped the idea of a novel such as the rise of realism, the rise of the middle class and literacy which wanted affordable fiction. However you write your presentation, include the idea of what was different about the first novel, why novels became popular, which authors would be included as I have not included them all, and why the 18th century was an ideal time for the concept of the Scientific Revolution lending its ideas to the creation of a new form of writing in the development of the British novel.