Intercalary chapter

An intercalary chapter (also called an inner chapter, inserted chapter, or interchapter^[1]) is a chapter in a novel or novella that is relevant to the theme, but does not involve the main characters or further the plot. Intercalary chapters often take the form of vignettes that offer a broader or alternative perspective to the experiences of the main character. They can also be used to provide social and historical background that can't be easily interwoven into the narrative chapters.

Examples

The following novels make use of intercalary chapters:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
Chronicle in Stone by Ismail Kadare
The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Waves by Virginia Woolf

References

^ Han JJ. (2009). "A Defense of Steinbeck's Intercalary Chapters in The Grapes of Wrath". In Meyer MJ. (ed.). The Grapes of Wrath: A Re-Consideration. Vol. 2. Amsterdam, NY: Rodopi. pp. 603–617. ISBN 978-90-420-2682-7.

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[1] Han JJ. (2009). "A Defense of Steinbeck's Intercalary Chapters in The Grapes of Wrath". In Meyer MJ. (ed.). The Grapes of Wrath: A Re-Consideration. Vol. 2. Amsterdam, NY: Rodopi. pp. 603–617. ISBN 978-90-420-2682-7.

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