Study Island Mini-Lesson: Characteristics of Literary FormsUse this study guide to help you complete the activity assigned to you on Study Island. Your assignment will be due Friday, August 16, at 5:00. If it is not submitted by that date and time, it will be late, and penalized according to your ENG 10 Student Handbook. Genres Genreis a French word that means "type" or "kind." When we talk about genres of writing, we are talking about the different types of writing such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Each of these broad categories has multiple forms called subgenres within it. For example, nonfiction has the subgenres of biography and autobiography. Below are some of the main characteristics, or features, of different literary genres.Fictionis the class of literature made up of works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. Fiction consists of narration invented by the imagination. It is usually told in prose form, the ordinary language people use in everyday speaking or writing that does not use the meter or rhyme characteristic of poetry or verse. Common types of fiction include novels and short stories.A novelis a fictional piece of writing usually of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. A short storyis a fictional prose narrative that is shorter and less complex than other pieces, usually under 10,000 words. A mythis a story handed down from earlier times, especially a story popularly believed to be historical. These types of stories often attempt to explain why things are the way they are now. For example, a myth may try to explain why the sky is blue through an interesting story.A legendis a storycoming down from the past whose truth is popularly accepted but cannot be checked. Legends are based on beliefs and customs and are often particular to local areas. A legend may explain why bears hibernate in the winter.Satireis a literary work in which the writer tries to point out human vices or follies in order to scorn or ridicule them. The writer can do so by using irony, wit, or sarcasm.Historical fictionis a fictional story that is based on a time, event, or series of events that have taken place in history. The players or characters in the story are either entirely fictional, or they are based on a real person or real persons in history.Realistic fictionis set in the real world and has characters with normal human powers. Realistic fiction contains characters who behave in ways that are relatable to the reader.
Science fictionis a story about the future, based on guesses of how the author thinks the future will be. Most science fiction stories focus on themes like outer space, technology,and time travel.Mysteriesare stories where a person, like a detective, solves a crime or a puzzling event. The entire story is centered on a person who is conducting the investigation.Fantasyis any story that has unreal parts. It has events that cannot happen in real life. Fantasy stories can have unreal settings (e.g, a magical land where fairies, dragons, and elves live). They can have unreal characters (e.g., talking animals and witches). They can also have unreal events (e.g., humans turning intobirds).A fairy taleis a story that usually has characters such as fairies, witches, goblins, dwarves, giants, and other folkloric creatures. The plot of a fairy tale also includes elements of magic. A fairy tale is also a type of fantasy story.A fableis a short story that teaches a moral lesson. The characters in a fable are often animals or inanimate objects that have human traits.A tall taleis a story that greatly exaggerates the features and accomplishments of a character. A tall tale usually includes events that cannot happen in real life.Nonfictionis a literary work in which the content is based on fact. Nonfiction writing is not made up or imaginary. In other words, it is not fiction. There are many kinds of nonfiction writing, includingbiographies, autobiographies, essays, and documents from history. Most nonfiction is considered expository, or informational.A biographyis an account of a person's life written, composed, or produced by another person. A biography is written by someoneother than the person whose life is being described. Many famous people have biographies written about them that tell their life story. If you were to write a book about the life of George Washington, you would be writing a biography. An autobiographyis a piece of writing that a person writes about his or her own life. Autobiographies are written in first person using the pronouns "I," "me," "us," and "we." If you were to write about your summer vacation, that work would be autobiographical. An essayis a relatively short literary composition in prose on a single subject, usually presenting the personal view of the author. The writer discusses a topic, often restricted in scope, or tries to persuade the reader to accept a particular point of view. A historical documentis a record of historical events. Examples of real historical documents include the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.Technical documentsprovide directions to do something. These documents—such as manualsand applications—are not used for entertainment but for practical purposes. For example, a college application instructs a student how to provide information needed on the form.