Academic and Campus Novel

Academic and campus novels: characteristics

The campus novel is defined by characteristics concerning the plot, characters and themes.

Plot

The plot of a campus novel will centre around the lives of a university's academic faculty and students. Many of these novels are satires so that the story will be presented in a comical (or absurd) way.

Campus novels typically utilise scenes of drinking, partying and excess to highlight the absurdities of academia. Universities and academia are prestigious institutions, so the campus novel uses its plot to mock the eccentricity of these organisations. This may be done by presenting situations of power, corruption and immoral politics. This is perhaps best seen in the campus novel Lucky Jim (1954) by Kingsley Amis, which is quoted below:

In this novel, the plot centres around a history lecturer who is given a job at one of the U.K's most prestigious universities. He does not enjoy the experience and would instead drink and flirt with women. This highlights how the plot of the campus novel will satirise academia and its pretensions.

Characters

No story is complete without characters, and the campus novel uses a host of character archetypes to define this genre.

The anti-hero

The anti-hero is the central character in a novel. They will lack the typical characteristics of a hero, such as courage or honour. Instead, the anti-hero will sometimes lack morals and be driven by an internal struggle. The anti-hero is used in campus novels to highlight some of the flaws in academia. An example of an anti-hero in the campus novel genre is David Lurie, the protagonist of Disgrace (1999) by J.M Coetzee. The novel follows Lurie, a communications lecturer, who loses his job due to his hedonistic behaviour.

The sage

Another literary archetype observed in the campus novel is the presence of the sage character. The sage functions as a scholar or teacher to the protagonist and is a mentor to the protagonist. The sage's purpose in the text is often to pursue knowledge and enlightenment, sometimes to extreme lengths. An example of the sage in a campus novel is seen in the character, William Stoner in John Williams's novel, Stoner (1965).

Themes

Campus novels are set in universities, which are places of learning and growth for young people. Therefore, they can be used to discuss themes of coming of age and the future. These novels are also typically associated with themes of enlightenment and education. These themes can be presented sincerely, or in a satiric way. Campus novels can also be used as the setting for novels with darker themes. In recent years many campus novels have been used to explore themes of death, mystery and corruption. A notable example of this is Donna Tartt's novel, The Secret History (1994). This novel follows a small set of Classics students at a private college in America. The plot of the novel focuses on the events leading up to the murder of one of the students, as well as the fallout this causes amongst the group. This novel explores themes of death, mystery, beauty and enlightenment.

Academic and campus novels: genre and examples

The campus novel is a wide genre that has existed for years. Due to its age and popularity, many subgenres now exist.

Academic satire novels

The most popular form of the campus novel is the satiric campus novel. Many campus novels function to highlight the negative aspects of academic life. An early example of the campus satire novel is Lucky Jim (1954) by Kingsley Amis. These novels tend to discuss sex, politics and corruption and may feature scenes of excessive drinking or drug use. Campus satire novels will use literary devices such as irony and sarcasm, as well as present exaggerated characters. An example of a campus satire novel is the text The War Between the Tates (1994) by Alison Lurie. This novel follows two married professors in the 1960s and is a satire of academia, marriage, and feminism.

Modern campus novels

While the campus novel has been a popular genre of fiction since the 1950s, it has experienced a growth in popularity during the 1990s and 21st century. Due to the popularity of the modern campus novel, many different subgenres of the novel have been created. One of the most popular types of modern campus novels is the dark academia novel. These texts will focus on aesthetics, and morally complex characters and their plots often involve murder. An example of this subgenre can be found in the novel If We Were Villians (2017) by M.L Rio. The novel follows a group of Shakespearean drama students at a prestigious art school following the death of a classmate.

Academic and campus novels: relevance and effect

The campus novel remains a popular genre of fiction due to the wide variety of novels that exist within the category. The campus novel can be satirical and funny or it can be serious and dark. This means that readers are able to connect to multiple aspects of the genre. The campus novel can be an effective way to interrogate academia and its failings. The genre is frequently used as an effective tool to satirise university life as well as criticise its politics and corruption.