The antinomies of the novel: from the history of German poetics of the 18th and 19th centuries

The variety of opposite viewpoints in the German theory of the novel may be viewed as a system of antinomies. Five antinomies are described in the article: 1) novel is «artistic» narration - or quasi-scientific investigation of the heroes' psychology and the casual chain of events; 2) novel is a modification of ancient epos - or something absolutely new that is going to replace epic poetry; 3) novel has a subjective - or an objective nature; 4) its author reveals his presence - or remains covert; 5) the hero is the main object for representation in the novel - or is just a technical device of narration, its «thread» (W. Alexis).