CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSE FICTION

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Verisimilitude

Verisimilitude in prose fiction is the portrayal of events in a realistic manner. You might encounter the term "slice of life" (tranche de vie), which denotes the level of realism advocated in naturalism. This quality is particularly notable in novels, short stories, and novellas, creating a sense that what is depicted is "real" or, at the very least, realistic and believable. For example, a reader experiences verisimilitude when a character in a story cuts their finger, and it bleeds. If, instead, the character's cut finger produced sparks of fire, the story would lack verisimilitude. Achieving verisimilitude is challenging for fantasy and science fiction stories presenting impossible events, although it can be attained if the reader willingly suspends disbelief, accepting the imaginary as true.

Verisimilitude is characterized by the quality of appearing true or real, embodying something that possesses the essence of truth or reality.

Prose fiction primarily serves as entertainment and is best enjoyed in intimate reading settings. The reader, alone, immerses themselves in the fictional world crafted by the author. This experience is heightened when the element of verisimilitude is present. In ancient times, verse epics were recited to select audiences, fostering a greater intimacy between the audience and the performer compared to theatrical plays. Unlike stage plays where the audience is distant, the recitation of epics or storytelling involved listeners sitting close to the performer, even able to touch them. This closer proximity created a greater sense of intimacy.

The intimacy is more profound in prose fiction, where the reader, alone, visualizes the characters' performance in their mind as the narration unfolds. In the past, reading novels was fashionable because the portrayed incidents were lifelike, enabling readers to identify with the characters and events. In the early stages of prose fiction development, verisimilitude facilitated realistic representation, making it a medium for open secrets, rumors, and both private and public gossip. "Individualistic fashions, personal views, intimate feelings, secret anxieties, 'conduct,' and 'gallantry' spread with novels. Love became the typical field of experience portrayed in prose fiction, and with the introduction of satirical fictions, the subject matter widened in the 17th and 18th centuries" (Forster 15). In prose fiction, readers are invited to personally identify with the characters, achievable only if the work presents a believable aspect of life.

 Time and Space

Writers in prose fiction aren't constrained like playwrights, who must condense the story within limited time, place, and dialogue. This grants writers the freedom to provide detailed descriptions of characters, actions, environments, and even innermost thoughts and feelings.

Time: It is a period when something happens, including exact time according to the clock, the date in terms of day, month, and historical period. For example, I am writing now, and later, I might specify when the writing occurred.

Space: On the other hand, space is a period of time. Both time and space are inseparable, leading to occasional confusion. Space is the extent of time between one particular action and another.

According to Akachi Ezeigbo, time and space are crucial in prose fiction as every action involving people is linked to the passage of time in space, and the concreteness of a picture is shaped by its journey through time/space (15). She outlines two time categories - chronological and functional.

Time

Chronological

This is measurable or quantifiable time. For example, at 20,

Functional

This is time not measured in terms of growth. It is determined by experience gained, not the elapsed time.

Time is vital both chronologically and functionally. The time and space range helps assess characters' progress. Characters evolve based on experiences during their journey through time and space.

Illustration:

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo kills someone during a funeral ceremony (time), and incidents unfold in the space between his exile and return. Actions occur only with the passage of time. The space can be short, like waking up and having breakfast, or longer, spanning from your first year in university to graduation.

Self-Assessment Exercise:

Differentiate between time and space in prose fiction.

Volume

In a literal sense, volume here denotes the size of the work, determined by its length, evaluated through the number of pages in a specific type of prose fiction. The novel is the longest genre, followed by the novella and the short story. Students often inquire about the length needed for a work to surpass a novella or short story, a challenging question due to the difficulty of specifying page numbers in each category. Length requirements traditionally link to the idea that the novel presents "epic length performances that try to cope with the totality of life" (Lubbock 30). In contrast, the novella focuses on a point, and the short story on a situation, requiring less complex interpretation.

Length is secondary to a specific perspective on life, according to Lukács, who notes the modern novel reflects the individual's experience of the world with a "fragmentary nature of the world's structure," unlike the ancient Homeric epic (Lubbock 23). As a guide, internet sources provide the following categorization based on volume in prose fiction:

- Short story: At least 2,000 words but under 7,500 words (5-25 pages)

- Novelette: At least 7,500 words but under 17,500 words (25-60 pages)

- Novella: At least 17,500 words but under 50,000 words (60-170 pages)

- Novel: 50,000 words or more (about 170+ pages)

Self-Assessment Exercise:

Explain the significance of volume in the categorization of prose fiction.

Atmosphere

Atmosphere in prose fiction encapsulates the prevailing emotion within the work, offering the reader a distinct emotional experience. The intensity of emotion varies across works, primarily relying on the author's skill in using descriptive details to heighten the atmosphere. Language choice is crucial in conveying the desired atmosphere, and it is further enhanced by the tempo of action and the quality of dialogue (Ezeigbo 23). Novelists often excel in evoking atmosphere; for example, Festus Iyayi masterfully creates an atmosphere of violence and depravity in his novel, "Violence," through dialogue and vivid event descriptions. The atmosphere within a work can shift from one event or situation to another, making atmosphere akin to the mood or emotion of the moment.

 Tone

Tone, closely related to atmosphere, is less overt but reflects the writer's attitude toward the explored theme. It is subtly woven into the narration without direct commentary. A skilled writer presents the story objectively, with tone emerging naturally. Tone can convey contempt, ridicule, condemnation, admiration, exhortation, and more. Similar to atmosphere, tone can undergo changes during the narration. For example, a writer may exhibit admiration for good characters and condemnation for the villain.

Self-Assessment Exercise:

Differentiate between atmosphere and tone in prose fiction.

 CONCLUSION

In prose fiction, the writer aims to craft an engaging story through the portrayal of lifelike events and incidents, known as verisimilitude. Achieving this involves skillfully manipulating language to create appropriate and credible atmospheres.

SUMMARY

This unit has presented the fundamental characteristics of prose fiction, focusing on the novel, novella, and short story—essentially similar but differing in volume.

REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Ezeigbo, A. (1998).A Companion to the Novel.Lagos:Vista Books.

Forster, E. M. (1981).Aspects of the Novel.Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin. Iyayi, F.(1986).Heroes.Harlow Essex: Longman

Lubbock, P. (1921).The Craft of Fiction. London: Jonathan Cape.

Roscoe, A. (1981).Mother is Gold. London:Cambridge University Press.