character's role in the novel, as well as discussion of the character's actions,
relationships, and possible motivation. Characters are listed alphabetically by
last name. If a character is unnamed—for instance, the narrator in Invisible
Man−the character is listed as “The Narrator” and alphabetized as “Narrator.” If
a character's first name is the only one given, the name will appear
alphabetically by that name. • Variant names are also included for each
character. Thus, the full name “Jean Louise Finch” would head the listing for
the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, but listed in a separate cross−reference
would be the nickname “Scout Finch.”
Themes: a thorough overview of how the major topics, themes, and issues are
addressed within the novel. Each theme discussed appears in a separate
subhead, and is easily accessed through the boldface entries in the
Subject/Theme Index.
•
Style: this section addresses important style elements of the novel, such as
setting, point of view, and narration; important literary devices used, such as
imagery, foreshadowing, symbolism; and, if applicable, genres to which the
work might have belonged, such as Gothicism or Romanticism. Literary terms
are explained within the entry, but can also be found in the Glossary.
•
Historical Context: This section outlines the social, political, and cultural
climate in which the author lived and the novel was created. This section may
include descriptions of related historical events, pertinent aspects of daily life in
the culture, and the artistic and literary sensibilities of the time in which the
work was written. If the novel is a historical work, information regarding the
time in which the novel is set is also included. Each section is broken down
with helpful subheads.
•
Critical Overview: this section provides background on the critical reputation of
the novel, including bannings or any other public controversies surrounding the
work. For older works, this section includes a history of how the novel was first
received and how perceptions of it may have changed over the years; for more
recent novels, direct quotes from early reviews may also be included.
•
Criticism: an essay commissioned by NfS which specifically deals with the
novel and is written specifically for the student audience, as well as excerpts
•
Copyright Information 131