Rise of English Novel | The Eighteenth Century Novel

  {The  rise of the English novel  in the  18th century  marked a significant shift in literature. This post explores the  development of the novel form , its  social themes , and the contributions of early novelists like  Daniel Defoe  and  Samuel Richardson .} Novel took its birth from Medieval stories. Medieval stories were in the shape of ballads etc. There were the stories of King Arthur. There were stories of wicked wizard. There were stories of damsel in distress. These novels were mere rambling stories. The people liked such stories in the Middle Ages. In the Elizabethan Age, 'Prose Romance' reached its climax. Sidney's 'Arcadia' is a popular piece of such writings. In the masterpieces, the writings were using flat characters, well-knitted plot and good prose style. Morality was presented in these novels. In the 17th century, a new genre was introduced 'Picaresque Novel' . It remained popular till the days of Fielding...