The main DIFFERENCES and SIMILARITIES between STORY and NOVEL

The story and the novel are two narrative genres that both tell us a story in prose. They are two types of texts that can be very similar but that, deep down, also have very significant differences. For you to learn to correctly differentiate both genders, in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to discover the differences between short story and novel as well as the similarities. We will study the main characteristics of each text so that you can better understand what are the essential elements of each of them. We started!

Before starting to analyze the differences between a short story and a novel, it is important that we understand the characteristics of each of these narrative genres so that, in this way, we can understand what each text is like and the most spreads.

Characteristics of the story

We begin by talking about the story, a narrative genre that is characterized by being brief. Here is a list of the characteristics of the story most outstanding:

• The length of the narrative:
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  a story is shorter than a novel and this is one of the most outstanding characteristics of this literary text.
• The characters of the story: it is another of the most characteristic and differentiating elements with respect to the novel. In a story, the characters have a less deep psychological profile than in the novel because they are usually social archetypes that the author uses to deliver a message. In addition, they do not tend to abound too many characters and it usually focuses on a protagonist and the occasional secondary.
• A genre of action: there are hardly any descriptions in the stories. The author does not stop to describe a landscape or a space but the action and development of the story are more important.
• Popular tale: in addition, we must not forget that there are different types of stories Among which we highlight the popular tale that, as its name indicates, is of popular origin and that has passed from generation to generation through the oral channel.
• Single action: Another important point to note is that the stories only revolve around a plot, an action that moves the characters. This is due to its short nature, and if you want to create a clear and concise story, it is important to only deal with one main topic.

Characteristics of the novel

On the other hand, we must also understand what a novel is like in order to better understand the differences between stories. Here we summarize the characteristics of the novel:

• Great extension: a novel is a text of greater length since they usually exceed 100 pages. Due to the length of the work, it is a genre that allows a greater depth of both the plot and the characters, the action, etc.
• Variety of characters: characters abound in the novel. Several main and minor characters may appear that contribute to creating a more solid story and to better understand the psychology of the protagonists and their motivations.
• More descriptive: the novel does have enough time to describe the place where we find ourselves or the emotions of the characters. In this way, the reader is more deeply involved, who is situated both physically and emotionally.
• Multiple actions: Although in a novel there is usually a main plot, the truth is that secondary plots can also coexist that manage to create a more complete and profound story.

Now that we have known the main characteristics of each of the genres, we are going to focus on know the differences between a short story and a novel so that we can see more visually how the two differ texts. Here you have the 7 most important.

Text length

Without a doubt, if we talk about the differences between a short story and a novel, it is essential that we begin by touching on a basic theme: the length of the text. And, as we have already mentioned, the story is a short work that in a few pages tells us a story starring a main character. On the other hand, the novel is a more extensive work that usually has more than 100 pages and that presents us with a more elaborate plot and a greater number of characters.

Plot complexity

Another important point that we must highlight is the complexity of the plot that is presented to us in each of the texts. In the case of stories, the plots are usually simpler since, in general, we only we find a central action and few characters that intervene in the development of the herself. However, in the case of the novel we are faced with a much more complex story in which, in addition to a main plot, there may also be secondary plots that enrich the story. In addition, there are many more characters involved in the storytelling and creating a wider and deeper world.

Structure of the narratives

Another of the most outstanding differences between a short story and a novel is their structure. And it is that, although both the story and the novel usually use the classic structure of approach, knot and outcome, in the case of the novel you can play much more with this order and alter it with motives literary. Thus, we may find ourselves with a story that goes from the past to the present or the future, or with a story that begins at the end.

The characters of the plot

We must also refer to the presence of the characters in the work. And it is that in the case of stories, fewer characters participate in the plot because the text is shorter and more concise. On the other hand, the novel has a greater assortment of characters that may appear and that may have a secondary role, antagonist, and so on. In general, novelistic characters tend to be better drawn on a psychological level and those in the story tend to be more archetypes of society.

Space and time

The narrative context is also a very different point between the story and the novel. In the story we find a simpler design of space and time and, thus, the events usually occur in the same place or at a specific time. Instead, a novel can take us on a much more extensive journey both through different places where the plot takes place and different times. In addition, it is common for the events narrated in a novel to be carried out in a longer period of time than those explained in a story.

Purpose of the texts

In generic terms, we can speak of two different objectives: the novel has an objective of telling a deep, well-crafted and imaginative story; while stories want to convey a message to us, communicate an idea, make us reflect on something concrete. The story is a shorter and more concise genre that, therefore, is much more useful to convey a message and make it clear. In a novel, there may be many messages enclosed between its pages but, above all, it focuses on telling us an original and well-woven story.

Transmission of texts

Nor should we forget that the story is the oldest genre of narrative and, in fact, there are many tales of popular tradition that have reached us orally. A tale can be popular and cult depending on how it was transmitted. Instead, the novel is always a literary genre that is transmitted in writing.

Now that you have been able to check what the differences are between a short story and a novel, let's talk about the other side of the coin, that is: the similarities between a short story and a novel. The two literary genres are written in prose and focus on telling us a fictional story that is starred by a series of characters.

Here we leave you a summary of the similarities between short story and novel so that you can learn to detect them easily:

• In prose: We have already commented that the two genres are written in prose and, therefore, this is a very prominent similarity between them.
• They are narrations: Therefore, the two types of text have the objective of telling us a story in a narrative way, a story that can have different types of narrators and that will be carried out by some characters.
• They are versatile: The two narratives can be interpreted in very different ways depending on the perception of each reader. Interpretations can be varied
• They respect the structure of the narrative: the two genres take into account the basic structure of a narrative that focuses on the approach, middle and end, although these factors can be presented in an altered way
• Use of rhetorical forms: the language that both texts use is a literary language in which we find a specific style and the use of rhetorical figures that give the text a more artistic touch