(i) Indians used the novel as a powerful medium to criticise what they considered defects in their society and to suggest remedies. (ii) Writers like Viresalingam used the novel mainly to propagate their ideas about society among a wider readership. (iii) Novels also helped in establishing a relationship with the past. Through glorified accounts of the past, these novels helped in creating a sense of national pride among their readers. (iv) At the same time, people from all walk of life could read novels so long as they shared a common language. This helped in creating a sense of collective belonging on the basis of one’s language. (v) Novels also made their readers familiar with the ways in which people in other parts of their land spoke their language.