The plot of a novel is expected to move purposefully toward an ending. Until the 19^th century, processes within a reality believed to have been created by God were also understood to work in this way. As a result, novels claimed to represent reality through their purposefulness. Because of Charles Darwin, this world outlook entered a state of crisis. The study shows how narratives changed as a result of a new concept of reality as being erratic and random. How could novels depict this conception of reality? This question is discussed with reference to examples from literary and aesthetic texts by Friedrich Theodor Vischer and Gottfried Keller.

Philip Ajouri, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München.