Realist Novel as Well as Satirical Novel - Essay Example

Realist Novel as Well as Satirical Novel Joseph Andrews & Sense and Sensibility Roll No: Teacher: 25th January 2009 University Realist Novel as Well as Satirical Novel A realistic novel can also be satirist while a satirist novel can also be realist. The novelists while writing a novel are involved in forming and structuring a story that is based on reality as well as on falsehood but in their narration, the reader should find the work as realistic and it should be written in a realistic tone. It is the capability of the writer to depict a narration in form of a reality. With the advent of novel form, there have been experiments with the formation of a novel. The most initial forms of novel writing were satirical and realistic. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding, are works of literature that are seen as realistic as well as satirical. Now, the question arises: Can a realist novel also be satirical novel? This paper will try to find an answer to this question by considering the two novels: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding. Satire is a criticism on people and society. It is a mockery on people and society. Satirical novels are those novels in which, the writers indicate towards a social condition or aspect in a tone that is satirical to highlight the false norms and values of a society. Satirical novels also consist of characters that can be found in a society and these characters follow some norms and conditions that are ridiculous. As far as realist work is concerned, it requires the writers to narrate a story in a manner that appears realistic in tone. The reader should not get an idea that whatever is written is impossible and can never happen. The work should not be exaggerated and should be indicative of a narration that has the possibility to happen. Jane Austen is famous for her novel writing on the basis of her restricted material she employs and satire, which is found in her writings. With her writings, Austen also portrayed the society of her time. Sense and Sensibility was her first novel and is famous for its satire employed by Austen to portray a society in which, women were concerned only with their matches (Brownstein, 1997). The main characters of the novel, Elinor and Marriane, the two sisters are portrayed as two psychologically contrasting characters. Sense is associated with Elinor and sensibility with Marriane on the basis of their actions that they take. In the novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen satirizes Marriane as a character and also as representative of Romanticism (Lauber, 1993). Austen satirizes the cult of sensibility in her work and also portrays that with romanticism, imagination and emotionalism, one fails to achieve his/her objectives but those who use sense and rationalism are able to get what they wish for (Brownstein, 1997). Marriane becomes a problem for her family and her lover on the basis of her characteristics while Elinor, her counterpart, follows rationality and sense to move towards her objectives. Although, both the ladies: Elinor and Marriane are interested in their marriages as socially, the most important issue of the society was marriage. Austen not only satirizes the movement of Romanticism and use of sensibility but also the ladies’ concern to marriages to a great extent (Lauber, 1993). Austen mocks sensibility by means of the character of Marianne and also the society, in which ladies have no other ambition but to get married to a suitable and well off match. Sense and Sensibility can also be regarded as a realist work because as it can be considered satirist on the basis of its portrayal of a society that is acting ridiculously, it can also be considered as a portrayal of a realistic society in which, Austen used to live. She was aware of the norms and values of her society and depicted what was actually happening around her (Brownstein, 1997). In her portrayal of society, she depicts a wide knowledge of her contemporary society. Whatever she has written and depicted in her novel, Sense and Sensibility, it seems quite realistic and authentic. The society to which, she belonged, was a society in which, major important was given to social status and monetary condition and she showed this concern to a great extent in her work. She portrays in her works the middle class society and she also belonged to the middle class status due to which, she was successful in her portrayal (Lauber, 1993). Sense and Sensibility is realistic because it shows a society and a class to which, Austen was quite familiar. She belonged to eighteenth century and her works indicate towards her society (Brownstein, 1997). Her tone was realistic because she narrated what was happening around her in a tone that was familiar to the readers. Class, status and monetary success by means of marriage was the social concern of women of eighteenth century society and Austen with her satirical tone and realistic narration showed the norms and values of her society and also portrayed what was true and realistic. On one hand, her novel, Sense and Sensibility can be seen as a satirist novel while on the other hand, it can also be considered as a realist novel because it indicates towards both the aspects realist and satirical. Henry Fielding is regarded as the initiator of realism because he was one of first realists of novel writing. Like Austen, he was also famous for his portrayal of his society in a realistic manner. As far as his satirical work is concerned, Joseph Andrews is in part a satire on Pamela by Richardson as it has taken its initial story and theme from Richardson’s work but the tone is mocking and satirical. Joseph who appears initially as the protagonist of the novel, Joseph Andrews, is the brother of Pamela Andrews, the protagonist of Richardson’s novel and is also seduced by the aunt of Mr. B, his employer like her sister but he gets dismissed because of his chaste attitude and sets out in search of his sweetheart. In the way, the title of main character shifts from Joseph to Parson Adams, who sets on a journey doing many adventures in his way (Bissell, 1933). The protagonist of the novel, Joseph Andrews, is Adams and not Joseph. Adams is portrayed as a simple Christian who is well-learned. In the novel, Joseph Andrews, Fielding satirizes the society and the social values of his society (Bissell, 1933). It is also a satire on the English society in which, he depicts that the society has morally degenerated. He exposes in his narration, the hypocrisy and callousness of the people belonging to higher classes. Joseph gets robbed and is left naked in a ditch to die. He gets rescued but gains no sympathy from the people of higher class (Baines, 2007). He is neglected and dealt inappropriately by the respected on the basis of his ineligibility to pay for his travelling. Fielding satirizes the society on the basis of its values and the difference that exists between upper and lower classes. The novel as a whole can be considered as realist on the basis of its content that is based on reality. Fielding portrayed the English society with all its follies and norms. Joseph Andrews is the representative of the age in which, it was written (Bissell, 1933). While journeying, the two chief characters, Joseph and Adams met with different corrupted values of society such as selfishness, falsehood, robbery and much more, which added to their learning. Fielding narrated in Joseph Andrews what was true according to his own observation of the society (Bissell, 1933). He portrayed an English society, to which he belonged. He portrayed a society, which was well known to him. He portrayed a society that has norms and values, which were not appreciative and needed criticism and satire. His work can be considered as realist on the basis of its portrayal of a society that existed in that age with all the features that Fielding defined. The upper and lower social status are portrayed explicitly and clearly and the reader is able to sort out the differences that exist in the social status. The upper class is shown as corrupted and villainous while lower classes are somewhat better than the upper classes (Baines, 2007). The characters portrayed by Fielding indicate towards the corruption prevalent in the society such as the portrayal of the lawyer who is depicted as a corrupt lawyer. The decisions taken by the lawyer are in the right of the rich and are purely based on his corruption (Bissell, 1933). Therefore, the society that is portrayed in corrupted and the representation of the society is realistic. Fielding also informs in his preface to the novel, Joseph Andrews that there is no such character or action that is not observed or experienced by the writer himself (Fielding, 1970). This statement also indicates that whatever is written and narrated in the novel is realistic and true. There can be no doubt in the realistic portrait of the English society of England by Fielding (Bissell, 1933). He narrates with which, he is fully aware. His narration is based on realism (Bissell, 1933). The actions and doings of the English society as portrayed by Fielding with the help of his characters indicate that whatever is written and in such a great detail is not a work of exaggeration (Baines, 2007). The minute details even indicate the realistic aspects of the society. Fielding not only narrates the full details of countryside and domestic living but also narrates them with realism and authenticity because he is himself aware of all the scenarios. Joseph Andrews can be considered as satirical as well as realist because the corruptions prevalent in the society along with the false and erroneous norms and values of society were satirized by Fielding and realist because the society was portrayed with realistic details and the narration was in a realistic tone. Therefore, it is quite clear that the novel, Joseph Andrews, can be called satirical as well as realist because the writer uses satire as well as realism in his portrayal of the society and the characters. The writers, Jane Austen and Henry Fielding use satirizing as well as realistic tone to write their novels. The aspects that Austen considered satirizing were the consideration of class, status and marriage by the women of eighteenth century and she on the other hand portrayed it very realistically as in her age, and the societal women were more concerned towards their future as a married woman and also socially sound with their husband’s support. The aspects that Fielding considered satirizing were the corruptible elements of the society along with social differences and he also portrayed everything realistically by informing and narrating with which, he was himself aware of. Realist novels can also be satirical novel because satire is a kind of ridicule or mockery on social aspects, society as a whole or people, due to which a novel can be stated as satirical. On the other hand, they can also be realist because while satirizing, the novelists portray what is true and real and this aspect makes the work as realist. The novels, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding can be both satirical and realist because they contain satirizing elements as well as realistic elements. While reading the novels, the reader not only accepts what he/she reads but also is able to acknowledge the satire that is employed in them. Both the novelists, Jane Austen and Henry Fielding criticize the social conditions and norms that are criticisable by means of employment of satire and also give a real picture of the society that existed in their terms. References Austen, Jane. (1983). Sense and Sensibility. New York: Bantam Books. Baines, Paul. (2007). "Joseph Andrews." The Cambridge Companion to Henry Fielding. Ed. Claude Rawson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bissell, Frederick Olds. (1933). Fielding’s Theory of the Novel. London: Cooper Square Publishers. Brownstein, Rachel M. (1997). "Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice". The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Ed. Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster, 32-57. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Fielding, Henry. (1970).The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. Oxford, New York: Oxford World’s Classics. Lauber, John. (1993). Jane Austen. New York: Twayne Publishers. Read More