The Novel: Beginnings-Titles

The title of a novel is there to shape our expectations before we even read the first line. It will help guide us as readers throughout the novel and possible inspire interpretation. Even when the title is the name of the central character it gives some indication about the story. Nabkov's 'Lolita' is a novel that focuses throughout on his infatuation and love for the girl. Lolita is central to his life and so the reader needs to remain focused on her. By using her name for the title, it makes it clear that the character Lolita is to remain the focal point of the novel. Before the reader has read any of the novel they could already be questioning the importance of the character Lolita.

Dickens 'Hard Times' is an example of declaring the novels theme via the title. The novel focuses in on various hard times that it's character's face. Dickens a social commentator of his time and such a title allows the reader to prepare to learn of the shocking times that society's citizens would have faced. What is most interesting about such a declaration of theme, is that Dickens no longer needs to outwardly condemn the events that happen. The reader will know that the times portrayed are hard, and so needs no confirmation or judgement on responsibility. Dickens has therefore given the reader the responsibility for the judgement and made himself free to simply write his story.

Some authors choose to use a quote as a title. Faber's 'The Crimson Petal and the White' is taken from Tennyson's lyrical poem 'The Princess'. The title is not referred to at any point during the novel and it seems that rather than handing a focal point to the reader, the reader has to read the novel in order to decode the title. It seems more obvious after reading that the two female protagonists are represented by the two objects in the title. The long-held poetic associations with women and flowers are deliberately made use of as symbolic representations. Agnes is portrayed as a clichéd innocent Victorian female, and is therefore represented by the 'white'. White is a colour surrounded by angelic connotations. Sugar, on the other hand is a prostitute and a 'scarlet' women. Red being a fiery sexualised colour clearly represents Sugar and as red can also represents danger, it becomes even more fitting.

Titles are a great starting point when studying novels as they can provide information about the work ahead.