YCMOU B.A Second year ENG 215 solved Assignments 2022

ENG215: HOW TO READ NOVEL 

🔹Describe the developmental stages of the novel?

🔹What are the three categories of novel mentioned in the unit?

🔹What different steps are involved in the reading of a novel?

🔹How does the novelist use the natural setting in ‘The Guide’?

🔹Describe the developmental stages of the novel?

Answer:

An extended work in prose, either fictitious or partly so, dealing with character, action, thought, etc., esp. in the form of a story.

Some Stages of Writing a Novel:-

PLANNING→This can look like day dreaming, brainstorming by yourself or with others, research, and jotting down notes.

WRITING→In this stage, you write your story, in whatever order you like.

EDITING AND REVISING→In this phase, writers make changes to the story, characters, conflict, setting, language. and more.

PUBLISHING→At this stage, your book is released into the world for the readers and takes on a life of its own.

MARKETING AND PROMOTION→Book and author marketing can happen at all four stages.

🔹What are the three categories of novel mentioned in the unit?

Answer:

Novels usually fall into three categories: literary fiction, genre fiction, and mainstream fiction.

Literary fiction is generally lumped all together in bookstores as "General Fiction" or "Literature." Because the first priority of literary authors is creating works of art, while selling books is only a second consideration, literary authors are less likely to think in terms of writing a specific genre or category of novel and following the customs of that genre.

Some literary authors today write in a realistic way about the daily lives of ordinary people, what is known as contemporary realism. Some choose to introduce an element of magic or a spirit world in an otherwise realistic story, what is known as magical realism. Others create works of art that incorporate the traditions of commercial fiction genres such as mysteries and science fiction. A number of literary authors also innovate with non-traditional approaches to story-telling, such as breaking up the order of events in the story, offering several alternative endings, or treating the reader as a character in the book. In this type of novel, the main point often isn't just the story itself, but also the way the story is told.

🔹What different steps are involved in the reading of a novel?

Answer:

1. Read for comprehension

This is always the goal when we read anything. Hopefully that’s your goal right now – to understand what I’m writing.

As fundamental as that seems to education, don’t ignore it. It’s easy to get mentally distracted, breeze through a page or two, and suddenly find yourself in a new scene with new characters and no idea how you got there.

If you find that you have no idea what is going on, it’s always a good idea to back up and figure out what you’re reading. An even better idea (though a difficult one) when reading a novel is to comprehend it as you go. For a quick tip on that, try reading with an index card covering the part you’ve already read. It tends to help you stay more engaged as you read.

2. Pay attention to repetition

Novelists are typically extremely detail oriented when writing their novels. When they repeat something, they meant to. When you are reading a novel and certain things show up again, pay attention to that repetition.

And repetition can take a thousand forms. This can be certain settings, certain thematic elements, certain characters, certain moods, certain descriptions, or way too many other things to mention. If you suddenly get deja vu when reading, though, heads up. The author wants to make a point.

3. Read with themes in mind

Themes are some of the most important elements to note when reading a novel.

Think about the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. It’s a great book. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s an easy read, and it makes a fantastic point. It’s about animals on a farm.

Only the real point has nothing to do with animals on a farm.

The themes of corruption and totalitarianism are thicker than North Carolina bacon – which is thick. In fact, the point of the novel has nothing to do with pigs and chickens and goats. But if you miss those themes, you might begin to think that it is.

So what’s the answer? Read a novel with themes in mind.

4. Know your literary elements

Plot, setting, characters, foreshadowing, imagery, etc., etc., etc.

These aren’t just “etc.’s.” They’re highly important.

We understand that knowing all the major literary elements can be somewhat less-than-fun. But they’re the building blocks upon which novelists make their points. Big ideas come in story format, so knowing how story elements work together is vital.

5. Watch for interpretations when reading a novel

Sometimes novelists toss you an easy one: they interpret a passage for you. When you’re reading a novel and you come across any interpretation by an author, it’s time to take notes.

Make sure you don’t miss this. If you want to know how to read a novel effectively and you miss this, it will be easy to misinterpret the entire book. Don’t miss the author’s own interpretations. Honestly, they matter much more than mine or yours do.

Do you have any other tips that you’ve found helpful? We’d love to hear any study skills tips you’ve found helpful when reading a novel.

🔹How does the novelist use the natural setting in ‘The Guide’?

Answer:

The novelist uses the natural setting in the guide. Nature often serves as a backdrop for the plot. In addition, it helps us understand the  mood of the story and points to a deeper meaning. It also allows writers to demonstrate characters' development and emotional state.

Understand and criticize the nature, function and value of literature. It pays to know more about literature in order to appreciate written works, good or bad, that  serve as guiding principles for all and also have enduring relevance to one's life and experience.

The style and length of the prose, as well as the fictional or semi-fictional subject matter, are the most clearly defining characteristics of a novel. Unlike works of epic poetry, he tells his story in prose rather than verse;  tells a long narrative rather than a short selection, in contrast to short stories.