Analyzing a Novel:
Part I,
Historical Background
By Stephen E. Jordan, II
Edited by Jenny Wilson
Finally, you've finished it!
You close the book and return it to your backpack or
briefcase or purse. Even though you tremendously
enjoyed reading the book, it took you a full two weeks
to complete it. Why? Well, it was only your morning
travel-pal who kept you company on the way to work so
you could easily escape the rush-hour rants.
This is a typical subway ride into Manhattan. I see it
all the time. Almost everyone sits in their own world
with their own book. Reading the book is the easy
part—it’s so easy, almost any clown on a subway ride
can do it. But do these individuals actually analyze
the novel? Doubtful, unless it's for a class
assignment or for Oprah's now-deceased bookclub.
Analyzing the novel--whether it be for an oral or
written presentation; or just for personal
acknowledgement and growth—is far more difficult than
simply reading it.
This article is one of six focusing on Analyzing a
Novel. In the following articles, you'll discover tips
on Plot, Setting, Characters, Style and
Classification. However, the first part of analyzing a
novel is appreciating its historical background.
1. When was the novel written? 1984? 1884? Or 1774?
This is important to know, and simple to discover.
Just look at the printing date near the front of the
book. Just make sure you know the difference between
"first published" and "reprint".
Why is the publication date important? You'll need to
know the relationship between events occurring in the
novel and events that were actually occurring in real
life which would have influenced the author. During
this time, was there a war going on that caused
strong, militant views? Perhaps there was some sort of
upheaval among different classes of people. Maybe a
great drought swept across the eastern side of the
United States during this time? If so, did any of the
actual historical events (or ones based on them)
appear in the novel? Or did these events simply
influence the publication process?
2. How many books has the author published? Is this
the ONLY book; the fourth of twenty; the last book of
a prolific and distinguished career? Was the book
posthumously published? After discovering this answer,
ask yourself if this particular work of writing is
comparable to others by the same author. If the novel
was posthumously published, perhaps there's a reason
it was never published while the author lived. Did you
ever think the author had a hidden life that he felt
shouldn't be discussed, but wrote about in his own
personal memoirs and letters?
3. What special circumstances come into play? I call
to mind the bastardized text (Thank you, Mr. John
Callahan) of Ralph Ellison's posthumously published
novel, "Juneteenth". This novel is obviously
cut-and-pasted together and even includes excerpts on
the back of the novel that were not published in the
text of the book. Was the book in question book
printed on high demand? By that, I mean that the
publisher knew an event was occurring or was about to
occur which would cause the book to be a definite
money-maker. An example of these special circumstances
are books which chronicle the Lewinsky/Clinton
scandal, books about the September 11th victims and
their families, and even books based on the O.J.
Simpson trials. Often, the only purpose of these
books is to please a particular group of people and
get their money--not for the aesthetic beauty of
writing itself.
Certainly, simple reading for pleasure has its place
in the world. However, reading with an eye to these
and other details can enhance your understanding of
the story and the author who brought it to life, and
thereby give you a deeper, richer experience than you
might have had otherwise.
Stephen E. Jordan, II is Editor/Publisher of OutStretch Publications;
Financial Editor in Manhattan; and Poet. Article is available for reprint. Please notify
the author. Copyright © 2001. www.OutStretch.net, Editor@OutStretch.net
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