An Essay on 18th Century Novel: Key Features and Influential Works

Ernest Hemingway is a very influential author. His work 'The Old Man and the Sea' is a classic. It shows his simple yet powerful writing style. Another is Virginia Woolf. Her 'Mrs. Dalloway' is known for its stream - of - consciousness technique. Then there's Franz Kafka, whose 'The Metamorphosis' is a strange and thought - provoking work that explores themes of alienation.

The 10 most influential novels of the 20th century include: 1 The Great Gatsby (United States) Scott Itzgerald's story of the luxurious life and social class division of the upper class in the 1920s was regarded as a classic of modern literature. War and Peace was written by Tolstoy, Russia. It tells the story of war and peace during the Russian Revolution in the early 19th century and is considered one of the masterpieces in the history of world literature. 3 The Story of The Stone was a classic work of Chinese classical literature that told the stories of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and others in the Qing Dynasty. One Hundred Years of Solitude was a novel by Colombia Garcia Márquez, which told the story of a family of seven generations and was regarded as a classic of modern literature. Jane Eyre was a novel written by Bronte, England. It told The story of Jane Eyre, a British woman. It was regarded as a classic work of 19th century English literature. The Catcher in The Rye was a novel by D. Salinger of the United States. It told the story of a teenager, Holden Caulfield, and was regarded as a classic work of modern literature. 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-our) was a dystopian novel by Orwell of the United Kingdom. It told the story of a dictatorial country and was regarded as a classic of modern literature. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a magical novel series by K Rowling in the United Kingdom. It tells the story of Harry Potter and is regarded as a classic of modern literature. 9 The Catcher in the Rye

The key features often include experimental narrative structures. For example, James Joyce in 'Ulysses' used stream - of - consciousness, which was very innovative at that time. Also, many 20th - century novels explored complex themes like the disillusionment after World War I. Another feature is the diversification of voices. Writers from different backgrounds and cultures contributed, like African - American writers bringing their unique perspectives.

'The Exorcist' by William Peter Blatty is highly influential. It's about a young girl possessed by a demon and the attempts to exorcise it. It was very controversial when it came out. 'Jaws' by Peter Benchley also counts as a horror novel. The idea of a great white shark lurking in the waters and hunting humans was truly terrifying. And 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris. It features the infamous Hannibal Lecter and his psychological games.

A very important 20th - century history novel is 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. It's set in the American South during the 1930s. This novel tackles issues of racial inequality and injustice, and shows how a small - town community deals with these complex problems. It also gives a good picture of the social fabric of the South at that time.

'A Contract with God' by Will Eisner is a very important 20th - century graphic novel. It was one of the first graphic novels to be recognized as such, rather than just a long - form comic. Eisner's use of sequential art to tell complex human stories was groundbreaking.

Well, 'Star Trek' franchise, which started as a TV series and expanded into books and movies, has had a huge impact. It presented a positive future for humanity, with different species co - existing and exploring the galaxy. It also introduced many technological concepts that have become part of popular science fiction lexicon. 'Blade Runner' is also notable. It explored the idea of artificial intelligence and what it means to be human in a future world filled with replicants.

The use of symbolism is important. Symbols in these novels can represent the hidden aspects of a character's psychological state. For instance, in James Joyce's 'Ulysses', certain objects or events are symbols that convey the characters' complex mental and emotional states. Also, there is a sense of alienation in many 20th century modernist psychological novels. Characters often feel isolated from society, which reflects the psychological turmoil of the modern individual in a changing world.

Another feature was detailed social description. They depicted the social hierarchies, class differences, and cultural norms of the time. Take 'Oliver Twist' for instance. It showed the harsh life of the poor in Victorian England and the problems in the workhouse system.

One feature is the exploration of modernist themes like the fragmentation of self. Writers such as Virginia Woolf in 'Mrs. Dalloway' presented characters' inner thoughts in a stream - of - consciousness style, showing how identities were complex and often broken up in the modern world.