Romance                       Vs                        Novel

1-    They are very important members of the society like nobles or of a magical social class

2-    They do magical/spiritual or heroic tasks that are impossible to normal people.

     3-    They are normally                 one-dimensional characters that stay  the same throughout the story. I.e. A  knight is always brave. [Flat]

Characters

1-    They are middle class characters

2-    They do daily chores

      3- Sometimes they might evolve,           grow, [dynamic]

1-    The setting is often vague, or discarded on the whole.

2-    If it were mentioned that is would be something magnificent. Either Great and Mighty or Magical.

    3-     It is normally Castles, or             Magical mysterious     -            unbelievable places

 

Setting

1-    It is a very detailed setting

 

2-    It is normally something humble.

      3- It is a real place and if it wasn’t           then it sounds like it is. I.e. the           writer describes it so much that           you feel that you know this place.

1-    There is no or a vague sense of time. Example they might mention that a knight was in a battle, killed a giant and went to heal his wounds in a cave but never mention that all this took a certain amount of hours or days

   2-  Don’t necessarily stick to chronological order.

Period/Time

1-    Time Continuum should either be measured by a clock or calendar. [Either mentions the passage of hours or days]

     2-  It has to be in chronological order
1- The plot in itself was like in a dream, smooth unrelated movements with no climax.

Plot

1- It had a specific plot with a certain climax.
Climax: It is the peek, or highest point in the story. It is also called the turning point, where the conflict starts to work itself out after it. 

1-    The Romances were aimed at the upper class readers

    2- There were standard symbolisms. For example, when Lady Elaine tied the pink ribbon on Sir Lancelot’s Helmet. She was showing her affection to him.

 

Language

1-    Since it was aimed at middle class readers, the language was simple

2-    There was no symbolism or metaphors or similes etc. in the works so it could remain straightforward

      3-   It was denotative rather than connotative

 

Denotative:  where the word/sentence is direct, and it means exactly what is written. E.g. The rose smells lovely.

  Connotative: where there is a hidden meaning in the word/sentence. E.g. Jay gave Monica a flower. (The hidden meaning in this sentence is that Jay loves Monica. So it’s not    about giving her a plant, it’s about showing his real affection towards her.)

1-    It has one singular type of tone throughout the Romance

2-    Always exaggerated

      3-   Uses emotions that are Ideal.

Tone

1-    The tone varies depending on the genre of the Novel

2-    Remains realistic.

    3- Uses emotions that are realistic but varies depending on situations and different characters

Romance- Gothic

-         Came out in the late 18t century

-         It was a return of the Romance in a Gothic Fashion

-         The setting is usually a medieval castle

-         The story is supernatural

-         The characters are unique

-         It is NOT Ideal like the early Romances

-         It circles around gloom, terror and anguish.

Examples

-         Romance: King Arthur Stories etc.

-         Novel/ Realism:  Robinson Crusoe- Daniel Defoe, Emma- Jane Austin, The tale of two Cities-    Charles Dickinson.

                  -        Gothic: Merry Shelly’s Frankenstein, Bram Stroker’s Dracula.