What are the characteristics of American sentimental novels?

The American sentimental novel often features highly emotional and empathetic characters. It focuses on themes like love, virtue, and the struggle between good and evil. Sentimental novels tend to tug at the heartstrings of readers, aiming to evoke strong emotions.

Well, 19th century American sentimental novels typically had a few key features. For one, they were big on melodrama. There were lots of tear - jerking scenes to tug at the heartstrings of the readers. Also, they frequently dealt with social issues of the time, like slavery or the position of women in society, but through the lens of sentiment. The language used was often flowery and descriptive to really bring out the emotions.

Sentimental novels usually focus on intense emotions and personal experiences. They often have a lot of drama and might make readers feel really emotional.

Sentimental novels usually feature an abundance of emotional content. Characters' emotions are on full display, whether it's love, grief, or hope. The protagonists are often in a state of vulnerability. They are frequently faced with difficult situations that expose their sensitive natures. Also, nature and scenery are sometimes used as a backdrop to reflect the characters' moods, like a gloomy day mirroring a character's sadness.

A sentimental novel often features an emphasis on emotions, especially excessive sentimentality. It usually has a plot centered around the trials and tribulations of the main characters, with a lot of focus on their inner feelings like love, pity, and melancholy. For example, characters might be constantly weeping or expressing their emotions in very dramatic ways.

Well, generally, their works often have a strong focus on emotions. For example, love is a central theme. In Jane Austen's novels, it's the courtship and the feelings between the characters. Their works also tend to have well - developed characters with deep inner lives. Like in Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre', we can see Jane's growth through her various emotional experiences. And often, there's a sense of melancholy or longing. In Thomas Hardy's works, the characters are often faced with difficult situations that evoke these emotions.

They often emphasized emotion and sensibility. Characters were depicted with strong feelings like love, grief, and compassion. For example, in many of these novels, a character's internal emotional turmoil was central to the plot.

American novels are known for their wide range of themes. They can be about frontier life, like in the Western novels. They also often have complex characters. In novels like 'The Sound and the Fury' by William Faulkner, the characters are multi - faceted and their inner thoughts are deeply explored. And they are not afraid to show the dark sides of American society, be it poverty, inequality or moral decay.

One characteristic is the exploration of the American Dream. Many American novels, like 'The Great Gatsby', show characters' pursuit of wealth, success, and a better life. Another is the reflection of social issues. For example, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' tackles racial discrimination. Also, the use of diverse settings, from the big cities to the wild frontier, as seen in 'Moby - Dick' which has the ocean as its main setting.

One of the main characteristics is the exploration of moral and ethical themes. These novels often present situations where characters face moral dilemmas. The sentimentality is used to make the readers more empathetic towards the characters' situations. Also, the language used in sentimental novel fiction is often flowery and elaborate to convey the intense emotions.