►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.