Chapter 4: Why the Novel Matters

Answer. The novel reflects the wholeness of a human being by changing the vitality of the whole person, not just simple instincts. Like most literary genres, novels are composed of characters. These characters are the protagonists of the soul, just like humans. Hence, the liveliness of the novel depends entirely upon its characters, where characters have different personalities. A novel displays different attributes of a human being, showing off all the good deeds of every individual, leaving it to the reader to interpret. Thus, this is how the novel reflects the wholeness of the human being.

Answer. According to the author, D.H. Lawrence considers the novel a superior genre among books. He believes that novels are the only good books in life and that not all books are life. He also believes that the novel teaches the lives of readers who are trembling to survive. Novels can bring life to readers more than philosophy, poetry or science. Therefore, the author believes that novels are superior to philosophy, science, and even poetry.

Answer. The author says the novel is a ‘tremulations on the ether’. He means that novels induce liveliness in the readers where the other books are not proficient enough. Reading regular books indicates reading messages or gathering news that is being read over the radio. One can never identify the actual information; instead, one can feel happy or sad about the specific news for some time. But the novel portrays a multi-dimensional view of the characters, and the readers can relate with them personally. A novel teaches valuable life lessons which any reader can inculcate in their own lives and make their decisions. Thus, the novel is a life-inducing factor in the writer’s thought processes, which significantly affects the readers.

Answer. The author, D.H. Lawrence, compares a human body to that of a vessel containing the soul and that the soul is the only thing alive. Life is most meaningful, and being active is the most fantastic thing. Humans are just limited to the body, which overlooks the importance of the body and restricts them to the body. The author uses an example of the hand and denies the hand is a lifeless object used only as a medium of writing is entirely incorrect. Similarly, a person talks about the importance of souls in heaven. However, the author Lawrence, being a novelist, says that ‘paradise is in the palm of your hand.’ A philosopher talks about infinity and the pure spirit who knows everything. But these are just pieces of life that act as messages or news being read over the radio. Hence, the body is alive, and man is more alive than any other entity and denying it is a wrong decision by spiritual thinkers.