Novel of
Realism II
5. Class is important; The novel has
traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an
insurgent middle class. (See Ian watt, The Rise of
the Novel).
6. Selective presentation of reality
with an emphasis on verisimilitude, even at the expense
of a well-made plot.
7. Diction is natural vernacular, not
heightened or poetic; Tone may be comic, satiric, or
matter-of-fact.
8. Objectivity in presentation
becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments
or intrusions diminish as the century progresses.