The power of influencing readers one installment at a time. The social, or protest, novel employs a narrative specifically to address social, economic, environmental, or political issues.
Or, a possible 3) be caught by prevailing mores into actions that seem to offer no choice at all, but which define the journey of self determination, maybe catastrophic, maybe liberating? That might focus attention on issues of injustice, or narrowness without ever addressing them explicitly?
With regard to the need for a light touch it may be relevant to quote George Eliot's dictum 'Never wrap a sermon in a novel' ( or something close to that) although the social aspects in all her novels stand pretty clear. Perhaps what she meant was that the 'issues' had to be intrinsically valid for the lives of her characters, as was the stigma of illegitimacy for the empty headed Hetty Sorrel, driven to the murder of her baby in Adam Bede. So I suppose the 'guide' towards getting the balance right, is the character and her/his situation must take the rein and the hand that guides the story have a very light touch? Or be absent altogether to let the issue emerge naturally.
I love that Eliot quote. You offer both sides. On Friday's post, I share how I teach my MFA students to do it and give you a few exercises. Essentially, it comes down to two things: 1) the protagonist has to be torn between two sides of an issue and 2) have her ardent belief system tested at every turn.
Or, a possible 3) be caught by prevailing mores into actions that seem to offer no choice at all, but which define the journey of self determination, maybe catastrophic, maybe liberating? That might focus attention on issues of injustice, or narrowness without ever addressing them explicitly?
Exactly! I have an upcoming post on the serialization of Edith Wharton's 'The House of Mirth,' which is exactly that.
With regard to the need for a light touch it may be relevant to quote George Eliot's dictum 'Never wrap a sermon in a novel' ( or something close to that) although the social aspects in all her novels stand pretty clear. Perhaps what she meant was that the 'issues' had to be intrinsically valid for the lives of her characters, as was the stigma of illegitimacy for the empty headed Hetty Sorrel, driven to the murder of her baby in Adam Bede. So I suppose the 'guide' towards getting the balance right, is the character and her/his situation must take the rein and the hand that guides the story have a very light touch? Or be absent altogether to let the issue emerge naturally.
I love that Eliot quote. You offer both sides. On Friday's post, I share how I teach my MFA students to do it and give you a few exercises. Essentially, it comes down to two things: 1) the protagonist has to be torn between two sides of an issue and 2) have her ardent belief system tested at every turn.