NOVELS, SOCIETY AND HISTORY FOR COLONISERS They found novels in Vernacular as an important source of information on native lifes

s and customs. This helped them to rule over Indian society ,with a variety of caste and communities. Novels in Indian language generally described the domestic life such as how the people use to dress, their beliefs etc. These helped the british to understand the Indian set up and thus introduce policies accordingly.

FOR INDIANS The novels were a powerful medium to criticize what Britishers considered as defects in Indian society and suggest remedies. Novels helped to establish links with the past. Many novels told thrilling stories of adventures. Through glorified account of the past, novels helped in creating a sense of National Pride among the readers.

VAIKKOM MUHAMMAD BASHEER Wrote in Malayalam 3 main features of his writings were : a) He wrote stories in ordinary language of conversation. b) He wrote generally on everyday life in Muslim households. c) He wrote on themes such as poverty, insanity and life in prisons.

EPISTOLARY novel used the private and personal form of letters to tell its story. E.g. Samuel Richardsons Pamelawritten in 18 th century and story is through an exchange of letters between two lovers.

SERIALISED --- 1. A format in which story is published in instalments, each part in a new issue of journal.

e.g. - Charles Dickens Pickwick Papers. 2. Serialised in a magazine (since they were attractive & cheap).

3. Serialisation allows readers to relish the suspense, discuss the characters & live for weeks with the stories.

S.N o. 1

Name of the author Charles Dickens

Their writings 1.Pickwick Papers(1836)

Main features 1. Serialised in a magazine in 1836. 2. Oliver Twist is a tale of a poor orphan who lived in a world of petty criminals & beggars. 3. Hard Times describes coke town, a fictitious industrial town, as a grim place full of machinery, smoking chimneys etc. Dickens criticized not just the greed for profits but also the ideas.

2. Oliver Twist(1838)

3. Hard Times(1854)

Emile Zola

Germinal(1885)

Germinal explores in harsh detail the grim conditions of miners lives. It ends on a note of despair: the strike the hero

leads fails, his coworkers turn against him & his hopes are shattered. 3 Thomas Hardy Mayor of Casterbridge(1886) It is about Michael Hen chard, a successful grain merchant who becomes the mayor of the farming town of Caster bridge. The novel uses Vernacular, the language that is spoken by common people. 4 Jane Austin ( Novels for Women) Pride & Prejudice Her novels give us a glimpse of the World of women in genteel rural society in the early 19th century. Main features In it young Jane is shown as independent & assertive, while girls of her time were expected to be quite & well behaved. Wrote historical novels for boys. They were also widely popular during the height of the British Empire. 7 8 O. Chandu Menon Srinivas Das Indulekha(1889) Pariksha-Guru(1882) The first modern novel in Malayalam It cautions young men of well to do families against the dangerous influences

S.N o. 5

Name of the author Charlotte Bronte ( Novels for Women)

Their writings Jane Eyre(1874)

G.A. Henty

Under Drakes Flag

of bad company and consequent loose morals. 9 Devaki Nandan Khatri Chandrakanta A romance with dazzling elements of fantasy. It is believed to have contributed immensely in popularising the Hindi language & the Nagari script among the educated classes of those times. 10 Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Rokeya Hossein Durgeshnandini (1865) The writing was the basis of his social position & authority. It shows a topsy turvy world in which women take the place of men. Padmarag showed the need for women to reform their condition by their own actions. Main features It is an epic about the Mallas, a community of fisherfolk who live of fishing in the river Titash. This novel is about the three generations of Mallas. 13 Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer His works were based on his own rich personal experience. His novels were written in common

11

1. Sultanas Dream (1905)

2. Padmarag

S.N o. 12

Name of the author Advaita Malla Burman

Their writings Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1956)

language of conversation. They covered poverty, insanity & life in prisons. 14 Premchand 1. Sevasadan (1916) It lifted the Hindi novel from the realm of fantasy, moralising & simple entertainment to a serious reflection on the lives of ordinary people and social issues. An epic of the Indian peasantry. Its story was inspired by Gandhijis personality & ideas. 15 Baba Padamanji Yamuna Paryatan (1857) It used a simple style of storytelling to speak about the plight of widows.

2. Godan (1936) 3. Rangabhoomi

NOVELS FOR THE YOUNG S.N o. 1 Name of the author R.L.Stevenson Novel Treasure Island Main features Idealised new type of man. Someone who was powerful, assertive,

independent & daring.

Rudyard Kipling

Jungle Book

These novels were full of adventure set in places, in remote Europe. About young boys who witness grand historical events, get involved in some military action & show English courage. Show positive attitude towards life. Love story for adolescent girls. Love story for adolescent girls.

G.A Henty

Under Drakes Flag

4 5

Helen Hunt Jackson Sarah Chauncey Woolsey (pen name Susan Coolidge)

Ramona What Katy Did

NOVELS DURING COLONIAL PERIOD S.No. 1 Name of the author Daniel Defoe Novel Robinson Crusoe Main features 1 Colonialism is natural. 2. Colonised people were seen as primitive & barbaric. 3. Colonial rule was considered necessary to civilise

INDIAN NOVELS S.No. Name of the author Novel Main features

Banabhatta

Kandambari

Stories in prose , written in Sanskrit Simple style of story telling. Speaks about the plight of widows. Not a realistic novel. Presents an imaginary romance narrative with a moral purpose.

Baba Padmanji

Yamuna Paryatan (1857)

Lakshman Moreshwar Halbe

Muktamala (1861)

NOVELS IN SOUTH INDIA S.No. 1 Name of the author O. Chandu Menon Novel Indulekha (1889) 2 Kandukuri Viresalingam Rajasekhara Caritamu (1878) Main features First modern novel in Malayalam. Translated Oliver Goldsmiths Vicar of Wakefield in Telugu