The Tools of Fiction

Raffaele Nardella

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Introduction

The Novel 18th century Europe - Middle Class– Fiction FINGERE + Representation of REAL– Prose (Poetic elements)– Narrative

• Characters• Actions• Plot

– Long Investigation of a human issueThe Features of a Narrative Text– Setting– Characters– Narrator

Raffaele Nardella

Place and TimeTime setting– Day– Season– Year

Context Social historical factorsPlace Setting– Interior– Exterior

Detailed Description Protagonist

Setting

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Description of landscapes, interiors, objects

The Characters

Presentation– Direct (the writer says)– Indirect (the reader infer)– Mixing of both realistic & psycological

Role– Major / Minor– Flat / Round

• Flat = Types, Caricatures single psycological trait• Round = more complex changing personality influencing the plot

Raffaele Nardella

The narrator

The narrator voice = point of view– Internal = inside the story– External = outside the story

1st-person narrator– “I” mode– Reader close to the narrator– Impression of reality– Restrict reader’s perspective

3rd-person narrator Omniscent– Obtrusive, focusing on the act of narration– Unobtrusive, like a camera, no interfering

Raffaele Nardella