Transcript Literary Genres - Rockvale Middle School

David Landry
How do I
identify a genre
by its
characteristics?
What is a literary
genre?
A genre is a
particular style or
type of writing.
Major Genres
• Fiction
– Writing that tells about
imaginary people and events
• Non-Fiction
– Writing that tells about real
people and events
•lines of poetry (verses) are
written in stanzas
•may include patterns of rhyme to
capture the reader’s interest
•uses carefully selected words and
phrases to create vivid pictures in the
reader’s mind
Short Story
• A short fictional prose narrative.
• A short story’s plot usually consists of these
•
basic elements: the introduction, complications,
climax, and resolution.
Short stories usually only have one or two major
characters and one important setting.
Drama/Play
•a cast of characters
•a narrator who gives
important information
•parts called acts or scenes
•props to help support action
•dialogue that tells what the actors
say
•stage directions in italics
Realistic Fiction
•The setting is realistic
•The characters speak
and act like real people
•The story describes
real-life problems and
events
Historical Fiction
• Literature with
•
imaginary characters
Based on events
related to history
*Parts of Little House on
the Prairie are considered
autobiographical
Science Fiction
• Literature based on
•
actual or imaginary
developments or
discoveries in science
Often futuristic or
fantasy
Horror and Mystery
• Horror is fiction in
which events evoke
a feeling of dread in
both the characters
and the reader.
• Mystery is fiction
dealing with the
solution of a crime
or the unraveling of
secrets.
Fable
•Characters are simpler than real people they may be completely greedy,
completely wicked , or very gentle
•Actions are repeated
over and over
•Point out some aspect
of human behavior.
Some fables teach a
lesson about what is
important in life, such
as fairness, kindness,
or cleverness
•Examples – Aesop’s Fables,
Mouse & Lion, Tortoise & the
Hare, Fox & the Crow, Hansel
& Gretel
Myth / Legend
• A kind of fantasy
• A very old story
handed down by word
of mouth
• Explains something
about nature or
answers questions
about the meaning of
life or what is good or
evil
• Examples – Greek
gods/goddesses,
Folk Tale
• Stories passed on from one person to another by word of
•
•
•
•
•
•
mouth.
Original storyteller is unknown. The authors on folk tale
books today are retelling these stories.
They often use language/description that is native to a
specific area.
Characters are sometimes animals that act
and speak like people
Repetition
Use of the number three
Examples: Brer Rabbit, Cinderella (can
also be considered as a fairy tale)
Tall Tale
•E
xtraordinary person - the main character is better at things
than an ordinary person
•E
xaggeration – makes something greater or bigger than it
really could be
•E
xplanation – explains how something came to be
• Examples – Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Mike Fink, Swamp Angel
Fairy Tales
Examples: Princess & the Pea, Jack &
the Beanstalk, Rumpelstiltskin
• Often begin with
Once upon a time or
Long, long ago
Include magic
or something
enchanted
Setting is a
forest or a
castle
Include a good
character and a bad
(evil) character
Involves a
problem that
is solved and
the good
people live
happily ever
after
Non-Fiction
• Books that discuss
•
facts, deal with real or
historical characters,
circumstances or
events.
Examples: how-to
books, science, sports,
drawing, math
animals,transportation
Essay
• A short piece of nonfiction prose that examines
•
•
a single subject.
Most essays can be categorized as either
personal or formal
It not only includes Martin Luther King's speech
and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address, but
Patrick Henry's Give Me Liberty or Give Me
Death, Lou Gehrig's Luckiest Man on Earth
speech, Ronald Reagan's Tear Down This Wall
speech and many more.
Biography
• Nonfiction
• Story about a real
•
•
•
person’s life that is
written by another
person
Can cover a person’s
whole life, part of a
person’s life, or a single
incident
A true account of a
person’s life based on
facts collected by the
author
Written from the third
person point of view (he
or she)
Autobiographies
• Autobiographies are
where people write
about their own life.
Newspapers/Magazines
• Newspapers and
magazines contain
articles relating to
current events, new
discoveries, and
important people.
Informational Texts
• The function of
these texts is to
convey
information.
References
• www.images.google.com
• www.microsoftoffice.com