Aspects of the Novel · Chapter
IV: People (Continued) explained
Forster continues his examination of characters in the novel, focusing on their interdependence and the devices authors use to manage them.
What happens
Forster continues his examination of characters in the novel, focusing on their interdependence and the devices authors use to manage them. He introduces the distinction between flat and round characters, discusses the importance of point of view, and argues that a novelist's power to 'bounce' the reader into acceptance is more central than strict adherence to a single viewpoint.
Themes in this chapter
Character and Human Nature
Forster delves into the nature of fictional characters, their relation to real people, and the distinction between flat and round characters as a key analytical tool.
Art, Pattern, and Rhythm
The chapter examines the craft of novel-writing, including devices like point of view and character interdependence, and the author's power to manipulate reader perception.
Criticism and Pseudo-Scholarship
Forster engages critically with the formalist criticism of Mr. Percy Lubbock, arguing for a more flexible, reader-centered approach over rigid technical rules.
Characters to notice
- Miss Bates
Used as an example of a character in Jane Austen's 'Emma' who is deeply interconnected with other characters and setting, illustrating the complexity of interdependent characters.
- Mrs. Micawber
Cited as a quintessential flat character, defined by the single idea of never deserting Mr. Micawber.
- Caleb Balderstone
Mentioned as another example of a flat character, defined by his single-minded concealment of his master's poverty.
- Esther Summerson
Referenced in the discussion of shifting point of view in 'Bleak House', where Dickens temporarily adopts her first-person narrative.
- André Gide
His novel 'Les Faux Monnayeurs' is analyzed as a sophisticated but less vital example of shifting viewpoint, compared to Dickens's instinctive approach.
Key passages
“When we say that a character in Jane Austen, Miss Bates for instance, is "so like life" we mean that each bit of her coincides with a bit of life, but that she as a whole only parallels the chatty spinster we met at tea.”
Calling a character 'true to life' means individual details match reality, but the complete character is a parallel, not a copy, of a real person.
Forster clarifies the relationship between fictional characters and real-life counterparts.
“They "run away," they "get out of hand": they are creations inside a creation, and often inharmonious towards it; if they are given complete freedom they kick the book to pieces, and if they are kept too sternly in check, they revenge themselves by dying, and destroy it by intestinal decay.”
Characters can rebel against the author's plan; too much freedom destroys the plot, while too much control makes them lifeless and ruins the novel from within.
Forster describes the delicate balance novelists must maintain with their characters.
“The novelist, we are beginning to see, has a very mixed lot of ingredients to handle. There is the story, with its time-sequence of "and then … and then …"; there are ninepins about whom he might tell the story, and tell a rattling good one, but no, he prefers to tell his story about human beings; he takes over the life by values as well as the life in time.”
The novelist must juggle multiple elements: the chronological story, the potential for simple entertainment, and the deeper human values that give the narrative meaning.
Forster outlines the complex task of the novelist in integrating story, character, and value.