Literary Genres8th Grade Literature Notes

Genre: a class or category of similar pieces of writing. Fiction is a story that is fake, made-up, or not real. Non-fiction is a story that is not fake, or in other words, real.

FICTION:

Realistic Fiction• Set in modern times• Could also be a mystery, adventure, comedy• Characters face conflict that could happen in

real life• Realistic setting, events, & characters• EX: The Outsiders, The Shadow Club

Science Fiction• Typically set in the future• Science or technology alters the plot• Includes a human element, explaining what

effect new discoveries, happenings and scientific developments will have on us in the future.

• Characters may face unusual or unreal conflicts such as robots, end of the world, aliens, etc.

• EX:The Hunger Games, The City of Ember

Historical Fiction• Set in the past• Setting, especially time period, is important• Characters and events could be real or

imaginary• Accurate portrayal of life during that time• EX: Soldier’s Heart

Fantasy / Fairytale• Contains elements that are not realistic • Uses magic and other supernatural phenomena

as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting

• Settings: castles, magic worlds• Characters: kings, princesses, dragons,

wizards, witches, ogres• EX: “Cinderella,” Eragon

Folktale / Legend / Myth• Passed down through the generations• Fables usually teach a moral or lesson with

animals that are like humans Ex: “The Tortoise and the Hare”

• Tall tales use exaggeration EX: “Paul Bunyan” • Myths and legends explain a phenomenon in

nature, include gods and goddesses EX: “How the Tiger Got its Stripes”

Drama Includes a script Performed for audiences EX: Plays such as Annie, Jr., Romeo and Juliet

Mystery• Any time period• Suspenseful, clues, crime, red herrings,

suspects, victims• Mystery is solved by the end of the story• Can be realistic setting, events, & characters• EX: Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, Hardy Boys

Poetry • Written in verses or poems• May have rhyme scheme, figurative language• Mood may be serious, humorous, sad• May tell a story• EX: “Nothing Gold Can Stay”

NON-FICTION:Biography

• Written about real people, dead or living

• True and factual• EX: The Real Story of Malcolm

X

Autobiography• Written about you by you• True and factual• EX: 3 Things About Me Essay

Informational• Factual• Purpose is to convey information

to the audience• May have index and/or glossary• Can be magazines, textbooks,

brochures, online databases, manuals, etc. • EX: Time for Kids, All About

Elephants, National Geographic

8th Grade Notes: Telling Tales Overview

Folktales:

Passed along by word of mouth

Over time, changed by the teller (details omitted, altered to suit listener)

Have no single author

Creations of an entire culture, belong to everyone in it

Fables:

use talking animal characters to teach us a practical lesson about life

Myths:

society’s oldest stories and reflect deep religious traditions/beliefs

explains how the world came to be, how humans were created

Legends (Tall-Tales):

come from society’s recent past

inspired by real people or events

abilities & achievements of folk heroes are exaggerated and sometimes

humorous

Urban Legends:

modern day tales of bizarre, horrible, spooky, or hilarious events, which seem

believable

Literary elements specific to telling tales:

Motif - character, image, event or theme that appears in literature of many cultures.

Trickster- clever, mischievous character seems to appear in every culture.

Plot Twist- an unexpected development or turn of events.

Exaggeration- overstating something, usually for the purpose of creating a comic effect.

Standard English – the most widely accepted form of English in the United States (this is what’s taught in school, used in newspapers and spoken by newscasters).

Dialect – a way of speaking used in a particular region or by a certain group of people.8th Grade Notes: Telling Tales

Folktales & Fables: Stories of a People

Stories of all kinds have always been an important part of the American experience. Native American peoples began our storytelling tradition, using tales to teach as well as to entertain. When other groups of people came to America, they brought their own tales with them from their homelands. As these groups adapted to life in this country, the stories changed to reflect their new circumstances.

Folktales:

Folktales are often referred to as fairytales, but should not be limited to this definition.

Folktales have been used for centuries as a way of teaching children about the truths of the

culture in which they live.

Folktales are traditionally passed along by word of mouth.

Over time they have changed as tellers added, omitted, and altered details to suit their

listeners.

Folktales have no single author; they are the creations of an entire culture and belong to

everyone in it.

Characteristics most commonly found in folktales are:

o The story often takes place in a distant land or remote past: “Once upon a time, in a

faraway land, a long time ago,” etc.

o The story establishes a clear difference between good and evil,

right and wrong, good and bad; and will often label characters

as such early in the story.

o The story will most likely be repetitive, rhythmic, or will use

rhyme to engage the audience.

o The characters in the story will often be aided by trickery, magic, or the help of a

powerful friend.

o Folktales often contain a “stock” setting such as a forest, a castle, a bridge, a cave, etc.

o In the end, good is rewarded and evil is punished. The conclusion is satisfying to the

listener because everything comes to a nice, neat finish.

Fables:

Fables are a kind of folktale that usually uses animal characters to teach us practical lessons

about life.

Fables will generally contain the following characteristics and patterns:

o The story will be very brief and concise.

o Time and place are usually irrelevant.

o The characters are usually animals, and will be named in

the title.

o The downfall of a character will lead directly to the

conclusion and moral of the story.

o The moral will be stated in one sentence and will teach an easily understood lesson.

Myths: A Matter of Belief

Myths, a society’s oldest stories, reflect some of its deep religious traditions and beliefs. Nearly every culture has creation myths, stories told that explain how the world came to be or how human beings were created. Other myths explain different aspects of life and the natural world.

Myths:

A myth can be considered a “religious story,” and will involve the existence and activities of a

supernatural being.

Certain themes, truths, and elements of myths can often be compared to myths from other

cultures.

In order for a story to be classified as a myth, it must contain all of the following specific

characteristics:

o The story must demonstrate the existence and activities of gods and demigods.

o It will seek to explain at least some aspect of the origin or manner of things (where

people came from, how rainbows first came to be, why whales have blow spouts, why

people and animals feel hunger, etc.).

o It is not an isolated tale but connects in some significant way with

other similar stories within a culture.

o Mortals will have direct access to and communication with the gods

of their culture.

Legends & Tall Tales: The Historical Connection

Legends come from a society’s more recent past; most were inspired by real people and real events. Pocahontas, Gregorio Cortez, Annie Oakley, and Davy Crockett did exist, like many other Americans whose names became legendary. Yet the abilities and achievements of the folk heroes often bear little resemblance to those of the people on whom they are based. Some of these legendary figures have been immortalized in tall tales.

Tall Tales:

A tall tale is a uniquely American type of humorous folklore not meant to be believed.

Throughout history people have told and written stories about their heroes, but a tall tale is a

special kind of hero story because the heroes’ attributes are always exaggerated and their

accomplishments are always outrageous.

Tall tales can be identified by the following characteristics:

o Details will be exaggerated to ridiculous proportions to describe something as larger, or

more overwhelming, than it really is.

o The story, although clearly unbelievable, will be told as a matter of fact.

o The narrator and characters will often use the dialect and slang of the region in which

the story takes place.

o Tall tales are similar to myths in that they often explain the origin of something in nature,

but they are told in a humorous way.

Urban Legends: “This Really Happened”

Folktales aren’t just stories from long ago, told by people to pass the time before TV was invented. Folk tales are being created all the time – and you may have participated in passing them on without even realizing it. Have you ever heard a story about someone who found a rat in an order of fried chicken? How about stories about alligators in sewers, or the tale of the hitchhiker who vanishes like a ghost? Modern day tales of the bizarre, horrible, spooky, or hilarious; many of which seem believable, are known as urban legends.

Urban Legends:

Urban legends are popular stories alleged to be true.

They are passed from individual to individual via oral or written (e.g. forwarded email)

communication.

Because they end up being repeated by many different people in many different places, the

stories tend to change over time. Hence, no two versions of an urban legend are ever exactly

alike; there can be as many variants as there are tellers of the tale.

Urban legends can be identified by the following characteristics:

o Urban legends are typically about outlandish, humiliating, humorous, terrifying, or

supernatural events.

o Urban legends always seem to happen to someone other than the teller. You’ll rarely

find anyone who had it happen to them (e.g. "I heard this from a friend of a friend").

o People who tell urban legends claim that the story comes from trustworthy sources to

strengthen the story’s credibility (e.g. "This really happened to my sister's co-worker's

hairdresser").

o Sometimes, but not always, there's an implied moral message, (e.g., "Be careful, or the

same horrible [or embarrassing, or enraging, or inexplicable, etc.] thing might happen to

you").