Aspects of the Novel · Character

André Gide

The French novelist and critic whose meditations on the two sides of human nature give Forster a framework for distinguishing history from fiction.

supporting

Also known as Gide

First appearance: V: The Plot

As a supporting figure in Aspects of the Novel, André Gide is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

His novel 'Les Faux Monnayeurs' is analyzed as a sophisticated but less vital example of shifting viewpoint, compared to Dickens's instinctive approach.

In the storyIV: People (Continued)Open this moment free

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Gide enters the argument as a theorist as much as a novelist, offering the distinction between what is observable in a person and what shame or politeness keeps hidden. Forster borrows this to explain why fictional characters can be known completely while real friends never can. He matters because he supplies the philosophical scaffolding beneath Forster's practical observations about plot, character, and the novelist's peculiar access to inner life.

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See André Gide in V: The Plot

Character Web

5 connections

A slice of how André Gide sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

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Other

Character groups

Diverse characters and narrative theory
Pattern and rhythm in fiction
Protagonist
Flat characters and authorial technique

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

Edouard
professional · positive
André Gide is the author who created Edouard as a character in The Counterfeiters. How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See André Gide in V: The Plot

In the story

André Gide appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

IV: People (Continued)
His novel 'Les Faux Monnayeurs' is analyzed as a sophisticated but less vital example of shifting viewpoint, compared to Dickens's instinctive approach.
V: The Plot
Author of 'Les Faux Monnayeurs', discussed as a novelist who experiments with plot by including his own diary and a novelist character (Edouard) within the novel.
Endnotes
Referenced for his work Les Faux Monnayeurs (The Counterfeiters) and its translated edition.

Chapter companion notes

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See André Gide in V: The Plot

See André Gide in IV: People (Continued)