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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
Characteristics of Fiction Characters Setting Conflict Plot
– Short stories usually have one main plot
– Novels contain one main plot and many subplots
Point of View Dialogue/Dialect
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
Rising Actio
nClimaxF
alling A
ction
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
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
Third Person Point of view
Dialogue/Dialect
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
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
I wandered, lonely as a cloudThat 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 hereAnd trees hide their faces from the evil that stalksAnd the moon tries in vain to reflect light on the dark placesIt is silent.
How about this one?
Mood
The atmosphere or feeling the writer creates for the reader
The characters’ actions and the setting greatly influence a story’s mood
Theme
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
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 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
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 Realistic fiction
– Mysteries– Adventure
Historical fiction Science fiction Fantasy Folklore
– Myths– Fables
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
Science Fiction
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)
Folklore-Myth 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
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 moralThe Tortoise and the Hare
Fantasy
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
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
Annotating– 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
Nonfiction
Text that is written about real things, people, events, and places
Written to inform or persuade
How Does Nonfiction Look?
Provides an outline of important information in a table of contents, index, or glossary
How Does Nonfiction Look? 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? 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
Strategies for Reading Nonfiction
Annotating– 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
Poetry
A genre that uses vivid imagery, word patterns, and/or sound qualities to convey a message to the reader
Written to entertain
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
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
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?