〈Novel Structure, Narration, Rhetoric, and Psychological Analysis〉–– Introduction to International Novel Works and Theoretical Analysis (Volume I) 4


Part I – Introduction to Novel Creation Methodology 

Part One, Chapter Four

Rhetoric of the Novel

I. Definition

The Rhetoric of the Novel is a field of study that examines rhetorical techniques and modes of linguistic expression within novelistic texts. It explores how authors, through deliberate choices in language, technique, and structure, shape the artistic effects of fiction, advance narrative development, articulate thematic ideas, and generate emotional resonance. This discipline primarily encompasses the following aspects:

1. Rhetorical Devices: Including metaphor, personification, symbolism, exaggeration, irony, reversal, and related techniques, all of which enhance the expressive power and emotional impact of novelistic language.
2. Language Style: Focusing on the deployment of language in fiction, and how vocabulary, sentence structure, rhythm, and sound patterns contribute to the creation of distinctive characters and atmospheres.
3. Emotional and Thematic Expression: Analyzing how rhetorical strategies facilitate the articulation of emotional layers and thematic concerns, thereby enriching the depth and polysemy of literary works.
4. Reader Experience: Investigating how rhetorical techniques influence readers’ comprehension and emotional response, stimulate imagination, and strengthen the literary quality of the text.

II. Areas of Research

As a component of literary theory, Rhetoric of the Novel conducts an in-depth exploration of the multiple applications of rhetoric in novelistic creation, with particular emphasis on its technical manifestations within textual composition. In rhetorical studies of the novel, aspects such as formal rhetorical design, tropological techniques, character subtext, and interior monologue contribute to elevating narrative texts from surface-level storytelling to deeper emotional and philosophical inquiry. Through these rhetorical strategies, literary works acquire not only plot and character but also complex symbolic significance and interpretive openness.

The following section outlines the principal domains and analytical scope of this field, illustrated through examples drawn from classic novels.

(I) Rhetorical Form Design

1. Function of Rhetorical Form Design in the Novel

Rhetorical form design in fiction serves to create language structures rich in rhythm, emotional density, and literary tension. It extends beyond linguistic aesthetics to emphasize how structural elements—such as chapter organization, temporal and spatial shifts, and adjustments in narrative perspective—can propel plot development and reveal psychological transformations in characters. The design of rhetorical form plays a crucial role in shaping narrative pacing, emotional progression, and overall atmosphere, while also guiding readers toward a deeper understanding of narrative layers and evolving inner states.

More specifically, rhetorical form design is essential to narrative advancement. Through stratified linguistic structures or alternating temporal-spatial frameworks, it renders narrative construction more compact and engaging. Rhythm, repetition, and contrast enhance emotional tension and dramatize conflict. Furthermore, the interweaving of timelines and shifts in perspective allow readers to gradually uncover narrative enigmas and apprehend the characters’ deeper psychological struggles.

2. Example Analyses

(1) Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Austen skillfully employs rhetorical form design to depict character development while intensifying emotional depth and psychological change.

a. Dramatic Dialogue Design
In Pride and Prejudice, the dialogues between Darcy and Elizabeth frequently serve as pivotal mechanisms for narrative progression. As illustrated in a representative exchange:

“You judge me too harshly,” Mr. Darcy said coldly.
“And I believe you judge me far too lightly,” Elizabeth replied with mockery.

This exchange vividly presents emotional opposition and inner tension. Darcy perceives himself as misunderstood, while Elizabeth reacts with strong resentment toward his attitude. Such verbal confrontation not only reveals character traits but also foreshadows fluctuations in their relationship. The dialogue functions simultaneously as the focal point of conflict and the emotional engine driving the narrative forward.

b. Layered Internal Perspective
Austen also excels at enhancing literary tension through subtle portrayals of interiority. As the plot unfolds, Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s perceptions of each other undergo transformation. These psychological shifts are conveyed not only through direct dialogue but also through interior monologue and narrative commentary. This design deepens emotional development and enables readers to perceive the layered progression of the narrative through characters’ self-reflection and growth.

(2) George Orwell, 1984

In 1984, rhetorical form design is especially evident in its stark, fragmented narrative style. Orwell adopts a distorted temporal structure, using extended monologues and recollections to reflect the protagonist Winston’s struggle against social oppression and his reawakening memories of the past. The novel’s opening repeatedly alternates between present and past, emphasizing the regime’s control over thought and memory:

“The past never truly returns; only the present exists.”

This interwoven temporal design alters narrative rhythm and intensifies emotional tension. As readers gradually grasp Winston’s psychological struggle and stream of consciousness, the novel’s pacing and emotional atmosphere become deeply immersive.

(3) Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

Proust’s In Search of Lost Time stands as a classic example of rhetorical form design. Employing a non-linear temporal structure, Proust intertwines memory and present experience to reveal the protagonist’s profound emotional connection to the past. Here, linguistic rhythm and temporal flow function as vessels of emotion, merging fluid memory with present consciousness. This design embodies the concept of the “endless interconnection between time and memory,” transforming temporal structure from a mere sequence of events into an expression of emotional depth.

For instance, through the taste of a small madeleine, Proust awakens a cascade of memories that spiral inward, forming a layered emotional network. Such structural layering draws readers not only into the narrative itself but also into the protagonist’s inner world and subtle emotional fluctuations.

(4) Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Márquez disrupts linear temporality through a narrative form infused with magical realism, creating a novel narrative rhythm. Chapters seamlessly alternate between reality and the surreal, rendering the story’s progression akin to an uncertain and fantastical journey.

Early in the novel, Márquez employs temporal leaps to cultivate suspense and emotional intensity:

“Although Arcadio, once grown, never realized that his mother had always been waiting for his return, the roots of tragic destiny had already taken hold in his heart.”

This non-linear temporal structure, combined with shifts in interior perspective, reflects the repetition and entanglement of individual fate and familial destiny. By blending reality, memory, and fantasy, Márquez constructs a richly layered emotional tapestry charged with dramatic tension.

(5) Albert Camus, The Stranger

Camus’s The Stranger adopts a concise and austere narrative structure, achieving precise alignment between emotional detachment and situational context. Although the temporal framework remains relatively simple, subtle emotional tension emerges through transitions between Meursault’s memories and present reality. The contrast between his indifference toward his mother’s death and his eventual execution exposes emotional dissonance and existential alienation.

“That day, the sun beat down on my face, causing an unbearable discomfort.”

This episode exploits temporal and spatial separation to mirror Meursault’s emotional detachment and existential indifference, producing an unsettling narrative tension that defines the novel’s atmosphere.

Rhetorical form design plays an indispensable role in the novel. It not only influences narrative development but also reshapes readers’ emotional experience. Through temporal-spatial interplay, narrative structuring, and rhythmic language design, rhetorical form enriches literary meaning and deepens the portrayal of internal conflict and emotional struggle. Works such as 1984, In Search of Lost Time, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and The Stranger exemplify distinctive artistic mastery in rhetorical form design, offering readers comprehensive insight into both thematic concerns and character psychology.

The relationship between rhetorical form and narrative progression is intrinsically close. Skillful rhetorical design enhances structural appeal while providing essential tools for thematic articulation and character construction. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen’s carefully orchestrated dialogue, emotional conflict, and psychological transitions illuminate both historical attitudes toward marriage and the individual pursuit of dignity and emotional integrity. Such rhetorical design achieves a synthesis of rhythm, emotional depth, and intellectual resonance.

(II) Tropological Techniques

1. Function of Tropes in the Novel

Tropes constitute essential rhetorical tools in novelistic creation, including metaphor, personification, exaggeration, and irony. Their purpose is to enhance artistic expressiveness, endow language with symbolic depth, and intensify emotional articulation. Tropes not only convey concrete narrative events but also deepen thematic meaning, shape character portrayal, and generate artistic effects that transcend straightforward narration. Through tropological devices, authors exert a stronger perceptual impact on readers, imbuing each detail and sentence with layered symbolic and emotional significance.

Metaphor, personification, and exaggeration animate language with vitality and visual force. These techniques concretize abstract concepts, articulate interior states, intensify dramatic conflict, and facilitate reader immersion. Particularly within large-scale narrative structures, tropes render language more stratified and emotionally charged, sustaining narrative tension and emotional fluctuation.

2. Example Analyses

(1) Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

This novel represents a paradigmatic use of tropes, combining exaggeration and symbolism to merge the surreal with the symbolic dimensions of human destiny, thereby establishing a distinctive magical realist style.

a. Exaggeration of Time and Fate
Márquez employs exaggerated language to connect familial destiny with the cruelty of time:

“A blast of searing heat swept through, as though the windows themselves were about to melt.”

Here, extreme heat and melting windows symbolize the relentless passage of time rather than literal environment, emphasizing the oppressive weight of fate.

b. Exaggeration of Familial Burden
Another example reads:

“They sat down not to eat, but to consume the dead years they could no longer endure.”

This exaggeration materializes “dead years,” portraying each meal as an act of life consumption, thus deepening the tragic theme of time, solitude, and inescapable destiny.

c. Intensification of Tragedy and Symbolism
Márquez’s magical realism relies heavily on exaggeration to address eternal themes of inheritance, mortality, and existential contradiction. Time emerges as a formidable force governing life and death, enriching narrative complexity and historical allegory.

(2) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Personification is extensively employed in The Little Prince, particularly in depictions of planets and interstellar characters. The dialogue between the Little Prince and the Fox anthropomorphizes emotional wisdom:

“What is essential is invisible to the eye; it can only be seen with the heart.”

This personification deepens emotional resonance and philosophical insight. Similarly, the Prince’s relationship with the rose transforms abstract love into a tangible emotional exchange.

(3) William Shakespeare, Hamlet

In Hamlet, metaphor is employed with exceptional precision to articulate psychological depth. In the renowned soliloquy “To be, or not to be,” life and death become metaphors for existential choice:

“The choice between life and death is a nightmare we silently endure.”

Such metaphor universalizes Hamlet’s inner struggle, extending it beyond personal conflict to humanity’s shared fear of the unknown.

(4) Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Dickens skillfully employs exaggeration to reveal character traits and social context. The depiction of Fagin exposes cruelty and moral corruption:

“His eyes were like two jagged blocks of ice—seeing everything yet utterly cold.”

This vivid exaggeration intensifies emotional tension and renders Fagin’s malevolence immediately palpable.

(5) F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, metaphor and symbolism reach their apex, particularly in Gatsby’s idealized love for Daisy. Through imagery of light and distance:

“He stood afar, gazing at the green-lit beacon—forever unreachable, yet endlessly desired.”

This metaphor transforms unattainable love into the novel’s central symbol.

Conclusion

Tropes such as metaphor, personification, and exaggeration not only enhance the artistic expressiveness of novels but also guide readers into the inner worlds of characters, enabling deeper comprehension of narrative complexity and thematic depth. In the works discussed above, rhetorical techniques attain a high level of artistic refinement, rendering characters more multidimensional and emotional expression more intense and nuanced. Each rhetorical detail contributes to a denser, more vivid literary atmosphere.

Through tropological devices, novelistic language transcends direct narration to reflect psychological conflict and intellectual tension. By surpassing conventional narrative boundaries, these techniques enrich textual multiplicity and interpretive openness, providing both structural depth and thematic expansion to the novel as a whole.

(III) Character Subtext

1. Definition

Subtext refers to information, emotions, or intentions that characters do not express directly in dialogue, actions, or overt statements, but instead convey through implication, suggestion, or indirect expression. This rhetorical technique allows a character’s inner world to remain concealed beneath surface language while simultaneously revealing contradictions or complex emotions through indirect verbal or behavioral cues. Subtext adds layers and depth to a literary text, enabling readers not only to understand characters at a literal level but also to perceive their inner struggles, doubts, and emotional conflicts.

Through the use of subtext, fictional characters can disclose their true thoughts or emotional fluctuations without explicit articulation. This technique often generates heightened dramatic tension and psychological depth. It reflects not only unspoken emotions between characters but also their inner struggles and acts of self-concealment, thereby making the narrative more vivid and psychologically authentic.

Subtext refers to emotions or information that characters do not explicitly state in dialogue, actions, or expressions, but instead communicate through implication or subtle suggestion. This rhetorical device enables a character’s inner world to remain hidden beneath surface language while indirectly revealing contradictory, complex emotions or latent motivations. Subtext creates multi-layered textual depth and increases narrative tension, allowing readers to move beyond surface-level comprehension toward a deeper understanding of characters’ internal struggles, doubts, and emotional conflicts.

The use of subtext renders dialogue more charged and emotionally realistic. Statements that appear ordinary on the surface often contain profound implications, subtly revealing characters’ psychological states and emotional fluctuations. Through this technique, novels can expose internal contradictions and hint at thoughts that characters cannot or refuse to articulate. Such expression frequently enhances dramatic intensity and provides readers with expanded interpretive space.

2. Example Analyses

(1) Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment

Subtext plays a crucial role in Crime and Punishment, particularly in portraying the inner conflict and complex psychology of the protagonist, Raskolnikov. Throughout the novel, his reflections and remorse regarding his crime are repeatedly conveyed through subtext rather than direct confession.

a. Raskolnikov’s Inner Contradiction
In his conversations with Sonia, Raskolnikov utters the line:

“I know you can see through me, but I have made an irrevocable decision—there is no turning back.”

On the surface, this statement appears to express determination and resolve. In reality, it conceals deep anxiety and guilt over his crime. Literally, he declares his inability to retreat and his resolve to carry his actions to their extreme conclusion. Implicitly, however, it reveals intense inner struggle. While he seeks self-justification and is willing to pay any price for his ideology, he simultaneously suppresses profound self-blame and remorse.

b. Psychological Deconstruction After the Crime
This statement exposes the ideological polarity within Raskolnikov’s mind. He longs to free himself from guilt, yet knows he cannot escape his inner shadows. When he speaks of the decision as “irrevocable,” he implicitly acknowledges lingering regret that cannot be openly expressed within his social context. This constitutes a form of subtext: his dialogue with Sonia functions as a confession that remains incomplete, constrained by self-directed anger and incomprehension.

c. Hidden Emotional Undercurrents
Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov’s subtext extends beyond his interactions with Sonia to his coldness and rebellion toward his mother, sister, and society at large. These contradictory subtexts reflect cognitive disarray and emotional turbulence, rendering the character more three-dimensional and intensifying the psychological conflicts within the narrative.

(2) Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, subtext is particularly prominent in the interactions between Darcy and Elizabeth. Although Darcy harbors genuine affection for Elizabeth, his early encounters with her are marked by aloofness and apparent arrogance. For example, during his initial declaration, he states:

“I possess advantages unknown to you; I am too intelligent for you, and therefore have no need to humble myself.”

Beneath this assertion lies a subtext of self-doubt and emotional insecurity. Darcy is questioning whether he is worthy of entering Elizabeth’s life, while simultaneously failing to restrain his anxiety and pride regarding his family background. His silence and inner uncertainty remain unspoken, yet they are revealed through the defensive phrasing of his speech, exposing the emotional contradictions he struggles to conceal.

(3) F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, subtext repeatedly emerges in character dialogue, most notably in the interactions between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. As Gatsby attempts to reestablish his relationship with Daisy, he persistently emphasizes his ability to reclaim past wealth and glory. Beneath this insistence, however, lies profound insecurity and yearning.

When Daisy reenters his life, their conversations appear casual on the surface, yet every unspoken phrase carries deep layers of loss, memory, anxiety, and emotional emptiness. Gatsby attempts to mask his uncertainty about the future, but subtle details betray his fixation on the past and his longing for a restored ideal. The subtext reveals an emotional tension between nostalgic obsession and forward-looking desire.

(4) F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender Is the Night

One of the most significant subtexts in this novel appears in the conversations between Nick and Tom, where Tom’s feelings toward Nicole are indirectly exposed. His complaint that Nicole “always pretends not to see anything” reveals deep-seated insecurity and emotional self-deception within the structure of their family life. These unspoken emotions and ironic implications reflect Tom’s conflicted attitude toward Nicole.

While Tom habitually rationalizes his behavior, concealed anxiety repeatedly surfaces through subtext, transmitting to the reader an underlying emotional instability. The unarticulated tension embedded in these exchanges deepens character portrayal and reinforces the novel’s psychological realism.

Subtext functions as a core rhetorical device in the novel. Through indirect language and behavior, it enriches dramatic intensity and psychological depth. By revealing unexpressed emotions and unspoken conflicts, subtext enhances narrative layering and emotional authenticity. In the examples above, subtext illuminates each character’s internal struggles and suppressed emotions, enriching character complexity and intensifying plot tension.

Through concealed emotions and unresolved conflicts, subtext grants fictional characters profound psychological dimension. In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov’s language is saturated with hidden anxiety and self-scrutiny, revealing him not merely as a cold and resolute figure but as one tormented by remorse and inner conflict. Through subtext, authors can penetrate deeply into characters’ inner worlds, reinforcing emotional tension and psychological depth. Subtext not only multiplies interpretive possibilities but also lends greater intensity and resonance to character development, transformation, and struggle.

(IV) Interior Monologue

1. Definition

Interior monologue is a direct and highly effective rhetorical technique in fiction. By presenting a character’s inner world, it reveals emotional fluctuations, intellectual struggles, and psychological contradictions, providing readers with intimate access to a character’s mental processes. This technique captures subtle psychological changes, helps explain the deeper motivations behind behavior, and amplifies emotional impact. Interior monologue plays a vital role in shaping complex character identities, representing temporal flow, and exploring profound thematic concerns.

Compared with external description and dialogue, interior monologue offers a more immediate representation of subjective experience. It allows readers to enter the character’s inner consciousness without mediation or concealment. As a result, emotional contradictions, confusion, and lived experiences are rendered with heightened precision and authenticity, making characters appear more multidimensional and psychologically complete.

Interior monologue is a powerful rhetorical device that directly presents thoughts, emotions, and mental activity, revealing inner conflicts, anxieties, and psychological tension. By penetrating deeply into the mind, it enables readers to experience emotional shifts with clarity and to understand characters’ motivations and mental states. Compared with dialogue or external description, interior monologue offers greater immediacy, guiding readers through the processes of psychological reflection and emotional fluctuation, while strengthening narrative depth.

Interior monologue often accompanies a character’s inner voice, expressing nuanced perceptions of events and revealing complex emotional and cognitive interactions with the external world. This technique uncovers thoughts and feelings that characters do not express outwardly, rendering them more vivid, authentic, and emotionally resonant.

2. Example Analyses

(1) Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

In In Search of Lost Time, interior monologue serves as one of Proust’s most important techniques for exploring time and memory. These interior reflections not only express emotional reverberations of the past but also reveal how distant experiences are felt within present consciousness, thereby generating multiple interpretive possibilities. This technique deepens philosophical inquiry and emotional complexity, encouraging readers to reflect on their own relationship with time, memory, and lived experience.

Proust’s use of interior monologue is particularly prominent in his exploration of temporal consciousness. Through refined psychological description, he demonstrates how past and present intersect within the protagonist’s mind, creating an internal flow of time and emotion.

A canonical example occurs during the episode in which the protagonist tastes a madeleine:

“That little cake—how could it merely be the taste of cake rolling across my tongue? I could no longer tell whether it was the comfort of the morning or fragments of an earlier life.”

This monologue conveys emotional fluidity and the multilayered contradictions of temporal perception. The sensory experience triggers a cascade of memories that merge with present sensation, forming an inseparable emotional continuum. The protagonist’s inability to distinguish present consolation from fragments of memory expresses the blurred imprint of time upon emotion.

The subtlety of this monologue lies in its ability to articulate the complexity of memory and lived experience, revealing how human consciousness connects self and world through time. Proust captures confusion over temporal passage and the impossibility of fully grasping the past, embodying the novel’s enduring meditation on memory and temporality.

Through this interior monologue, Proust elevates an ordinary sensory experience into an intricate interplay of memory and perception, emphasizing emotional flux and qualitative transformation of time. This technique reinforces the novel’s central premise: memory and time constitute the structural framework of human experience.

(2) Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment

In Crime and Punishment, interior monologue is essential to portraying Raskolnikov’s psychological evolution. After committing murder, he undergoes profound mental turmoil, with interior monologues revealing doubt, anxiety, and remorse. For instance, during his interaction with Sonia, his repentance and fear surface through interior reflection:

“I know you can see through me, but I have made an irrevocable decision—there is no turning back.”

This monologue expresses both irreversible despair and deep remorse, revealing conflicting emotions of guilt, self-blame, and inner division. It allows readers to grasp the psychological motivations underlying his actions and highlights the paradoxes of human conscience and moral struggle.

(3) William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Hamlet stands as one of the most influential works in Western literature, with interior monologue serving as a primary means of character development and thematic exploration. Hamlet’s famous soliloquy—“To be, or not to be”—is a quintessential example:

“To be, or not to be—that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them?”

This soliloquy reflects Hamlet’s profound meditation on existence and mortality, revealing his psychological struggle between vengeance and fear. Shakespeare grants the audience direct access to Hamlet’s inner world, exposing deep spiritual anguish, emotional paralysis, and existential void.

(4) Henry James, The Wings of the Dove (or The Portrait of a Lady–style psychological novel)

In Henry James’s work, interior monologue highlights subtle emotional shifts within each character, particularly in the inner life of the protagonist, Matilda. As she oscillates between memory and present reality, she engages in continuous self-dialogue and emotional reflection:

“She felt unable to truly relinquish what had been lost; the tenderness and fragrance lingering in memory seemed to dissolve at any moment into the approaching reality.”

This monologue reveals Matilda’s lingering attachment to past love and her emotional entanglement with the present. It deepens her psychological portrait and fosters emotional resonance between character and reader.

Interior monologue, as a rhetorical technique, is a vital means of revealing internal conflict and emotional transformation. In In Search of Lost Time, Proust uses it to articulate the fluidity of time and memory; in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky employs it to express guilt and moral struggle; in Hamlet, Shakespeare reveals existential anguish through soliloquy. These examples demonstrate the immense power of interior monologue in constructing psychological depth, representing mental activity, and intensifying emotional resonance within narrative literature.