Normal Setting In Terms Of A Novel example essay topic

The Mules Foal by Fotini Epanomitis, to me, is a normal novel because it tells a story and is about events that could be real. It is a story about three houses in a greek / turk village and about what happens inside these houses, as well as the people inside them. At the start of the story the narrator Mirella tells us that it is a 'story of houses, of what happens in them and between them. ' In other words, this book meets the wide definition of a novel, which is an 'extended work of prose fiction' (Abrams, 1971, pg 110) and has all the elements required for a novel such as plot, setting characters and point of view.

The Mule's Foal is a normal novel because it fits the genre of Magic Realism. Each element of the novel is affected by its genre. The Mule's Foal is a normal novel because it fits the definition of a novel. This book is obviously not based on true events because the events that take place are fantastical. This book also meets the narrower definition of prose romance, which is a novel that 'uses simplified characters, a solitary protagonist who is isolated from a social context, and has an ologies to dreams, myths, rituals and folklores' (Abrams, 1971, pg 112). Firstly a good example from the book which fits this definition for ritual is when all the deformed babies are placed near the bridge that leads into the village and the pigs eat them: "And if the child were born without legs or arms, or even without a head, then the mother would leave the children at the foot of the bridge.

The villagers would let out their pigs which would eat and maul and eat the child". Secondly, myths are included and a good example of this is the story of St Vaia and her holy water: "The story says that this is St. Vaia's holy water. St Vaia, who had refused to abandon her faith for the Turks. They cut of her breasts and she bled to death.

That is where the holy water is supposed to come from". Lastly, the solitary protagonist is the Gorilla Child, who lived a solitary childhood behind a wall and did not have a very good social life as an adult, because of his ugly appearance and relatively shy nature: "Yiorg is the Ape face was a polite man, of a basically lome some nature. He lived a quiet life and was betrothed to a girl from a distant town". The Mule's Foal is one such novel that fits into the genre magic realism. Magic Realism uses 'fabulous and fantastical events which are included in a narrative that otherwise maintains the 'reliable' tone of objective realistic report. ' Realism is maintained throughout the book through the use of point of view techniques.

The story is told in simple language with little dialogue. Fotini Epanomitis, through Mirella, tells the story by keeping a straight face to make the reader believe her. A good example is when Meta turns into a man: "One day Meta turns into a man. Noone knows who he is.

There is no name, and no record of his crime. So he is set free". This shows that realism is maintained even when the events are ridiculous and fantastical, and so fits the definition of Magic Realism. Like any novel, The Mule's Foal takes place in a certain location and is narrated in a particular point in time.

According to a review by Susan Nicholls the story 'envelopes us instantly in the world of a small village, somewhere in or near greece, sometime in the not-very-distant-past, possibly the turn of th century and a little later. ' What we are actually told about the village is there are 'cobbled streets' and that it is in a valley that dried up years ago, and about the bridge that leads into the village. We are told about St. Vaia's holy water and that the houses are made of stone. We know that there is a kafeneio a graveyard near a church and a town square. This setting is a normal setting in terms of a novel.

The Magic Realism of the story sits on top of this basic setting. By having such a normal setting it can make the reader draw comparisons between his world and the novel's world. I think I have shown that The Mule's Foal is truly a normal novel. It has elements that fit the definition of a novel, and just happens also to fit the genre Magic Realism. I have shown through the plot, the setting and point of view which are the required elements of a novel, are all found inside this story.