REALISM

(Delaney, Ward, Rho Fiorina, Fields of Vision. Literature in the English Language, Longman, vol.1, 2002, p. 51)

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The term realism is used to denote the attempt by writers to present an accurate imitation of life as it is. The realist sets out to write fiction which reflects a world that is convincing and recognisable to the common reader. He does this by:

  • writing about ordinary characters, usually of the middle class, who have no special gifts. Under normal circumstances these characters would live unexceptional lives, but in special conditions they may display a kind of heroism;

  • placing the characters in a setting that is familiar to the reader;

  • using a special literary style that gives the reader the illusion of actual experience: The style may be defined as reportorial or journalistic, and it seems to render the events in a matter-of-fact way;

  • being unselective in his choice of subject matter;

  • dealing, in the same way, with both the trivial and the extraordinary;

  • paying great, almost scientific attention to descriptive details.

 

THE ANTI-NOVEL

(Delaney, Ward, Rho Fiorina, Fields of Vision. Literature in the English Language, Longman, vol.1, 2002, p. 80)

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The term anti-novel refers to novels that break with the traditional conventions of the genre. Anti-novels rely for their effect on the confounding of the reader's expectations by:

  • the omission or annihilation of traditional elements (character, plot, etc.);

  • the introduction of innovative elements.

 

UNRELIABLE NARRATOR

(Delaney, Ward, Rho Fiorina, Fields of Vision. Literature in the English Language, Longman, vol.1, 2002, p. 62)

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An unreliable narrator is one whose interpretation and evaluation of events do not coincide with the beliefs held by the author. The unreliability of a narrator is not always immediately obvious. The reader is often initially led to believe that the narrator is reliable, and encouraged to share his viewpoint. The delayed exposure of the fallibility of the narrator adds humour and bite to a satirical text.