GENRES OF LITERATUR

E

Types of Fiction

1. Traditional-These are the oldest and

most “traditional”types of fiction.

•Fairy Tales- involve magical elements

& make the impossible seem possible

•Tall Tales -(ex. Paul Bunyan,

Pecos Bill) physical features and deedsare greatly exaggerated

Tall Tales…

These exaggerate the character’s physical features and powers.

For example, the tale may say that Paul Bunyans’ feet were so large that when he stepped, his footprints formed the lakes.

Folklore – general term covering folktales, proverbs, ritual speeches, folk songs, fables, etc. Handed down by word of mouth. Helps members of a culture stay connected to one another.

Fable –kind of folklore in which a brief story is used to teach a lesson about

human nature.•Aesop’s Fables•Usually a fable ends with a moral or lesson.

Characters – often animals who speak and act like people.

Giving life characteristics to animals ??

Personification

Legends– relate amazingevents or accomplishments;are stories known throughouta cultural group. Their heroes may be humans, animals, or even plants, enchanted objects, or forces of nature.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”…

EXAMPLE:

The Headless Horseman is the amazing event in this legend.

Myths – traditional storiesabout gods and goddesses or how things came to be. These stories usually reflecta culture’s religious or other deeply held beliefs.•Myth – something that isn’t true!

Epics – extended stories of a hero’s quest.

Quest – a mission or a journey.

2.Fantasy– explores unreal worlds of thepast, the present, & the future.

Tuck Everlasting

The fantasy element here is the magical water that allows you to

live forever and never age.

3.Science Fiction – explores imaginary worlds of the past, the present, & the future. Often has characters living in the future or shows people using technology that is not

available today. The characters deal with modern issues & problems; such as prejudice, fear, and isolation.

4.Realistic Fiction – The events are not real, factual events BUT theycould have actuallyhappened. It seems very“realistic.”

5.Historical Fiction– novel, play, short story, or narrative poem that sets fictional characters against a historical backdrop & contains many details about the period in which it is set.

Nonfiction – factual prose writing. Nonfiction deals with real people & experiences.

1.Informational – conveys facts and information without introducing personal opinion. Just gives the facts.

Example: Textbooks

2.Biography – the account of a person’s life written by someone else

3.Autobiography – Thestory of a person’s lifewritten by that person.

4.Memoir – a biographical or autobiographical narrative. An account of an event or period emphasizing the narrator’s personal experience of it.

OVERVIEW…Literature is broken up into 3 categories… Poetry, Drama, &

Prose.

Prose = Includes Fiction and Nonfiction

Fiction = False or Not TrueNonfiction = Not False or True

Fiction Includes…TraditionalFantasyScience FictionRealistic FictionHistorical Fiction

Nonfiction Includes…InformationalBiographyAutobiographyMemoir