Unit IV SYBA SEM III English Literature Gondwana University, Gadchiroli

1. 1.Picaresque Novel
Que.1. What is Picaresque Novel? Trace its origin and development and
characteristics?
Ans. The word 'picaresque' is derived from the Spanish word 'pícaro' meaning ‘rogue'
or 'rascal'. This type of novel originated in the sixteenth century and became very
popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Features of a Picaresque Novel
1. In a picaresque novel, a travelling hero usually finds herself/himself in different kinds
of situations, meets a variety of characters, and has several extraordinary
experiences.
2.There is little or no plot, and the novel has a simple, loose, episodic structure.
3. The protagonist is clever, likeable and usually someone from the middle or lower
class. The author takes the hero through several ups and downs in life.
4. Though characters are prominently drawn, there is little character development. The
story (action) is given more importance.
5. The novel is narrated in a satirical and humorous manner, often in the first-person
mode.
In Tobias Smollett's The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), the hero, Roderick,
meets a variety of odd people on his long journey to London, and has a series of
misadventures along the way. He later joins the navy and has further escapades.
Roderick has far too many adventures than is possible for any person to have in one
life, but the author does not bother about the credibility of such incidents. Smollett is
only interested in giving his readers a broad picture of the life of his times. Other
examples of picaresque narratives include Henry Fielding's Tom Jones (1749),
Voltaire's Candide (1759), and Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March (1953).
Que. 2. Write a short note on Tobias Smollett’s novel The Adventure of Roderick Random.
Ans. In Tobias Smollett's The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), the hero,
Roderick, meets a variety of odd people on his long journey to London, and has a
series of misadventures along the way. He later joins the navy and has further
escapades. Roderick has far too many adventures than is possible for any person to
have in one life, but the author does not bother about the credibility of such incidents.
Smollett is only interested in giving his readers a broad picture of the life of his times.
Other examples of picaresque narratives include Henry Fielding's Tom Jones (1749),
Voltaire's Candide (1759), and Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March (1953).
UNIT IV
Sem III ELT

2. 2.Sentimental Novel
Que. What is Sentimental Novel? Trace its origin and development and
characteristic?
Ans. :- Sentimental Novel' was popular in the 18th century. It described the tearful distress of
the good people at their own sorrow or those of their friends. The sentimental novel is also
known as the novel of sensibility.
Features of a Sentimental Novel :
• As a literary genre, it celebrates the intellectual and emotional aspects of
sentimentalism and sensibility. This may be a reaction to the rationalism of the
Augustan Age.
. It relies on an emotional response from both the characters and the readers by
depicting scenes of suffering and tenderness.
• The focus is more on emotional feeling rather than the action.
• It often shines a spotlight on the weaker sections of society, such as orphans and
the poor, or on the terrible conditions of the prison system of the time
• The sentimental novel played an important role in creating awareness about the
downtrodden section of society and helped pave the way for the humanitarian
movements of the 19th century.
The best examples are Richardson's ‘Pamela' depicts the importance of a love that
transcends the physical. Other important examples of sentimental novels include
Oliver Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield and Stern's Tristan Shandy' and A Sentimental
Journey through France and Italy and Henry Mackenzie's 'The Man of Feeling' and
Goethe's German novel 'The Sorrow of Young Werther'.