Written Word

The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in the mid-15th century, written language became more accessible to the common people -and, in enlightened societies, most became literate. It is here, that masses becomes educated, that the elements of storytelling through text took wing, most notably the NOVEL.

In the novel, we see the basic elements of plot, character, and conflict, but here is where the form departs from its predecessors. Characters in a novel often struggle with internal conflict consisting in pain, guilt, love, hate, birth, and death, all in the most complex human terms. It's probably the first time story tellers such as Fydor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Franz Kafka explored the human condition without the constraints of moral dictum, identifiable emblem, or a simple message.

further, the author has the ability to speak privately to the reader. It is personal and direct, although many people may have read the same book, there is no denying that the reading experience is SOLITARY and as such, may differ greatly from other's personal experiences.

 

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*paraphrased from Krawczyk and Novak