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?