Introduction to Prose

Prose is a form of language that exhibits a natural flow of speech and grammatical structure rather than a rhythmic structure as in traditional poetry. In the JAMB syllabus, prose is divided into fiction, non-fiction, and faction.

1. Types of Prose

i. Fiction

• Novel: An extended narrative in prose, typically having a complex plot, multiple characters, and a significant length (usually over 50,000 words).
• Novella/Novelette: A prose work longer than a short story but shorter than a novel (typically 17,000 to 40,000 words). Examples include George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
• Short Story: A brief work of fiction that can usually be read in one sitting and focuses on a single incident or a narrow range of characters.

ii. Non-Fiction

• Biography: An account of a person's life written by someone else.
• Autobiography: An account of a person's life written by that person themselves.
• Memoir: A collection of personal memories about specific events or periods in the author’s life, rather than their entire life story.

iii. Faction

Faction is a literary genre that blends historical facts with fictional elements. It uses real-life events or people as the basis for a narrative that includes imagined dialogue and scenes.

2. Narrative Techniques and Devices

i. Point of View (POV)

• First Person: The narrator is a character in the story (uses "I", "we"). This provides an intimate but subjective perspective.
• Third Person Omniscient: The narrator is "all-knowing" and can reveal the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
• Third Person Limited: The narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.

ii. Characterization

• Round Character: Complex and multifaceted; they undergo development or change.
• Flat Character: Two-dimensional and uncomplicated; they do not change throughout the story.
• Foil: A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight particular qualities of the other character.
• Hero vs. Anti-hero: A hero possesses traditional noble qualities, while an anti-hero is a central character who lacks conventional heroic attributes like idealism or morality.

3. Textual Analysis

• Theme: The central idea or underlying message of a literary work.
• Plot: The sequence of events that make up a story (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution).
• Setting: This includes the Spatial setting (the physical location) and the Temporal setting (the time or era in which the story occurs).
• Socio-political Context: The social and political environment in which the text was written or in which it is set, which often influences the themes and character motivations.