... historians of the novel have seen "realism" as the defining characteristic which differentiates the work of the early eighteenth century novelists from previous fiction. This use of realism has the grave defect of obscuring what is probably the most original feature of the novel form. If the novel were realistic merely because it saw life from the seamy side, it would ... ...

• Word Count: 3498
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate