Transcript Genre Characteristics

Genre
Characteristics
Fiction
Stories that are
imagined or invented;
they are not factual
 Usually written to
entertain, although
some can teach us
lessons

How Does Fiction Look?
Written in sentences
and paragraphs
 Can be organized in
chapters
 Usually written in short
story or novel
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Characteristics of Fiction
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Characters
Setting
Conflict
Plot
– Short stories usually
have one main plot
– Novels contain one
main plot and many
subplots
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Point of View
Dialogue/Dialect
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Tone
Mood
Theme
Foreshadowing
Flashback
Irony
Symbolism
Characters

protagonist -the
leading character, hero,
or heroine
 antagonist -the
character who struggles
against the leading
character
Setting
Time and place of a
story
 This can change
throughout the story
 Setting can help
readers better
understand the
characters or the plot

Conflict
The struggle between a
character and some
other force in a story;
the problem that must
be solved
 3 main types:
-man v. man
-man v. nature
-man v. self

Plot
Plot-the organization
of the main events in a
story
 There are five parts to
a plot:

Exposition
Climax
Resolution
Exposition
introduces the
protagonist and/or
antagonist
 introduces the setting
 introduces the conflict

Cinderella lives unhappily
with her step-mother and two
step sisters; an invitation to
a ball at the palace arrives.
Rising Action
Series of events that
contribute to the
conflict
 Leads to the climax
 A majority of the plot
is spent on the rising
action

The step sisters prepare to go to the
ball; a fairy godmother appears and
gives Cinderella a gown to wear to
the ball and coach and footmen to
take her there; she goes to the ball
and dances with the prince; she
leaves at midnight, losing a slipper
on the steps; the prince finds the
slipper and agrees to marry the
woman whom it fits.
Climax
The point of highest
tension
 The turning point in
the story
 The conflict can either
go in favor of the main
character, or against
him or her

The prince visits the home
of Cinderella; the two
sisters try to fit in to the
slipper, but Cinderella
appears is discovered to be
the wearer of the slipper.
Falling Action
Most of the suspense is
over
 All the “loose ends” are
tied up
 Usually happens very
quickly

Cinderella and the
prince prepare to
marry.
Resolution
The readers learns what
happens to all the
characters
 All the problems in the
story have been solved
 The conflict is resolved

They live happily
ever after.
Point of View
Describes who tells the
story and how it is being
told
 The perspective of the
narrator/character telling
the story can greatly
influence the mood and
understanding of a story
 There are two main points
of view

First Person
Point of view
the narrator is a character
participating in the action of
the story
 When reading stories in the
first person, the information
the narrator is thinking or
saying might not be the whole
truth
 We should question the
trustworthiness of his/her
statements and thoughts,
because other characters
might have a different
perspective or opinion

Third Person
Point of view
the narrator does not
participate in the action of
the story as one of the
characters
 The narrator is able to
explain the perspectives of
more than one character in
the story, and can let us
know exactly how the
characters feel
 we learn about the
characters through this
outside voice
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Dialogue/Dialect
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DIALOGUE
-the talking that takes place
between characters
DIALECT
-changes in language based
on geographical (where
we’re from) or social (the
people we hang out with)
differences
Howdy, ya’ll!
Tone
I wandered, lonely as a cloud
That floats on high over valleys and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A group of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
How would this be read?
What would the speaker’s
tone be?
Grass covers the ground-- the hair
of the dead
No creature lurks here
And trees hide their faces from the
evil that stalks
And the moon tries in vain to
How
reflect light on the dark places
about
It is silent.
this one?
The attitude that an author
takes toward the audience,
the subject, or the
character.
 The manner in which the
words would be spoken out
loud (sarcastically, angrily,
happily)
 Tone can be inferred from
an author or speaker’s
words, and the intent
(purpose) behind the words

Mood
The atmosphere or
feeling the writer
creates for the reader
 The characters’ actions
and the setting greatly
influence a story’s
mood
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Theme
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The message, or central
idea, of a piece of literature
The theme of a fable is its
moral. The theme of some
other pieces of fiction is its
view about life and how
people behave.
Some examples are
friendship, treating others
the way you want to be
treated, or equality
Foreshadowing
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The author’s use of hints or
clues that allow the reader
to infer what will happen
later in the plot.
Foreshadowing can be
direct, such as changes in
the setting (storm clouds
forming) or more obvious,
such as dialogue between
characters that indicate
their future actions.
Flashback
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An interruption of the
action in the plot to present
events that occurred before
the present time
Flashbacks can occur as
memories or dreams of
characters or as a separate
piece of dialogue or
narration
Allows the reader to learn
background information
about characters or events
to better understand the
current plot of the story
Irony

Verbal irony-a contrast
between what is said and
what is meant (sarcasm is
an example)
 Dramatic irony-the
audience knows something
one of the characters does
not
 Situational irony-the
contrast between what
happens and what would
be expected to happen.
Symbolism
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A symbol is something that
represents something else
Authors often use
characters, their actions or
even objects to represent
(or symbolize) a larger idea
in the story
Many times, the symbols in
a story help illustrate the
theme
Examples of Fiction
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Realistic fiction
– Mysteries
– Adventure
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Historical fiction
Science fiction
Fantasy
Folklore
– Myths
– Fables
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Graphic novels
*these examples can be either
short stories or novels
Realistic Fiction
Characters resemble
real people
 The setting is a place
that is/could be real
 Events are possible in
real life
 The conflicts are those
that people might
actually face in real life
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Science Fiction
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Characters could be real,
but also could include
beings only associated with
science (ex. robots or
aliens)
The setting is usually in the
distant future or on
another planet
The events sometimes
seem possible only through
future scientific discovery,
and involve advanced
technologies that could
exist by that time
Historical Fiction
Some characters are
imaginary, but others can be
real historical figures
interacting with fictional
characters
 The setting is a specific time
in distant history (you can
often tell by the way
characters speak, how they
dress, or the surroundings or
items described)
 Often involves fictional
events that occur during real
things that happened in
history (ex. elections, wars,
illnesses)
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Folklore-Myth
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A type of folklore; passed
down through storytelling
Usually involves people
interacting with
supernatural beings or gods
and goddesses
The setting is usually on
earth, or other worlds
inhabited by the gods and
goddesses
The events often attempt
to explain a belief, custom,
or natural event in nature
(ie, hurricanes, seasons)
Folklore-Fable
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The Tortoise and the Hare
A type of folklore;
passed down through
storytelling
Often include animals as
characters
The setting is often rural,
or in the country
The events attempt to
teach some lesson or
moral
Fantasy
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Include some realistic
characters and settings
However, also includes
elements that are not
realistic such as talking
animals, magical
powers/objects, or
mythical creatures (elves,
unicorns, trolls, etc.)
Many times, the setting is
medieval (kings, queens,
castles)
Graphic Novels
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Can contain any
characteristics of the
other forms of fiction
(eg. fantasy, science
fiction)
Written through frames
of pictures that include
speech bubbles and/or
captions
Strategies for Reading Fiction
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Annotating
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Summarize
Ask questions
Make predictions
Offer opinions
Circle and define
unknown/new words
Sequence the events on
a plot line
 Determine the point of
view—you will be able
to tell the reliability of
your narrator
 Look for clue words
about characters,
setting, mood, and
theme and highlight
them
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Nonfiction
Text that is
written about
real things,
people, events,
and places
 Written to
inform or
persuade
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How Does Nonfiction Look?
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Provides an outline of
important information
in a table of contents,
index, or glossary
How Does Nonfiction Look?
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Each page has words in
a variety of fonts and
type sizes.
Bold or italic fonts may
be used to signal
important words or
phrases.
Footnotes or captions
may be used to show
sources, give important
definitions, or explain
images.
How Does Nonfiction Look?
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Maps, charts,
diagrams, or
photographs are
usually included to
illustrate or
summarize
information
Captions or labels
must be examined
carefully for relevant
information
Examples of Nonfiction
Biographies/
Autobiographies
 Articles
 Essays
 Journals/Diaries
 Brochures
 Letters
 Reference materials: atlas,
dictionary, thesaurus,
encyclopedia
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Strategies for Reading
Nonfiction
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Annotating
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Summarize
Ask questions
Make predictions
Offer opinions
Circle and define
unknown/new words
Preview by reading
headings or
subheadings
 Examine pictures
charts, maps, or other
graphics closely. How
do they relate to the
text?
 Read any captions or
footnotes for additional
information
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Poetry
A genre that uses vivid
imagery, word patterns,
and/or sound qualities
to convey a message to
the reader
 Written to entertain
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How does poetry look?
Written in lines and
stanzas (groups of
lines)
 Does not follow
conventional grammar
rules
 Figurative language is
often used to paint a
picture in the mind of
the reader
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Strategies for Reading Poetry
Read the poem two or
more times
 Read the poem aloud
 Look for clue words to
determine mood and
tone, and read the
poem with the correct
tone
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Figure out who the
speaker is
 Locate and visualize
figurative language
 Ask yourself about the
poems message or
theme. What is the
author trying to say
here?
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Figurative Language
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Using comparisons to
help readers visualize
or make a connection
with the text
Those two are like peas in a pod.
Types of Figurative Language
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Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Alliteration
Imagery
Simile
A comparison using
“like” or “as”
 Used to paint a
picture in the mind
of the reader, by
showing how things
are similar
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What qualities do these
two have in common?
Metaphor
A comparison
between two things
without using “like”
or “as”
 Paints a picture is
the mind of the
reader by saying
something IS
something else
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Life is a highway.
Hyperbole
An exaggerated
statement
 Used to emphasize
size or quantity
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The teacher gave us a ton
of homework!
Onomatopoeia
Words created to
imitate sounds
 Appeals to the
readers sense of
hearing
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Personification
"Summer Grass" by Carl
Sandburg
Summer grass aches and
whispers
It wants something: it calls
and sings; it pours out wishes
to the overhead stars.
The rain hears; the rain
answers; the rain is slow
coming; the rain wets the face
of the grass.
Giving human-like
qualities to
inanimate (nonmoving) objects
 Used to emphasize a
feature or make
something stand out
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Alliteration
Repetition of initial
sounds in neighboring
words
 Creates rhythm,
emphasizes (by using
repetition)
Dancing Dolphins
By Paul McCann
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Notice the use of the
various “t” sounds
throughout this stanza and
in the next two.
Those tidal thoroughbreds that
tango through the turquoise
tide.
Their taut tails thrashing they
twist in tribute
to the titans.
They twirl through the trek
tumbling towards the tide.
Imagery
Appeals to the five
senses
 Elaborately describes
what is seen, heard,
felt, smelled, and tasted
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The thick heavy smell of sugar
tickles my nose, and the sweet,
buttery goodness coats my mouth
like a blanket. The sharp taste of
cinnamon awakens my taste buds,
but the soft gooey pastry only
leaves me craving more.