| This dissertation examines the role of the novella in American literature and offers an analysis of the form's unique narrative function. Although the novella has been overlooked in favor of the short story and the novel, the novella represents a natural and important narrative form for American authors. A form with ancient roots, the novella has evolved from relatively brief Renaissance tales into a contemporary prose narrative of intermediate length that employs techniques of both short and long fiction. Many of American literature's most significant works of fiction are novellas that have been misclassified. For example, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Kate Chopin's The Awakening, and Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage are novellas that are commonly classified as novels. Likewise, Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener," Mark Twain's "The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg," and James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" are novellas that are commonly classified as short stories. The novella frequently appears as a component part of a larger work; often the same novella is published both as an independent work and as a vital part of a larger narrative structure. William Faulkner's "The Bear," for example, makes up a central component of Go Down, Moses but is also frequently published independently. Finally, the novella has received popular and critical success in categories such as mystery, science-fiction, and western. In all its varied forms, the novella proves to be a keystone of American fiction. |
