LITR 4370 TRAGEDY Midterm2 Samples 2015 (midterm2 assignment) Model Answers to Part 1. Genre Definition 2.

Part 1. Continue genre definition and example(s) from Midterm1: Using the Introduction to Genres page, redevelop / revise and extend your "working definition" of genre in all three categories (Subject / Audience, Formal, Narrative) and use them to analyze the genre of your choice you began in Midterm1. Cite, explain, and analyze two or more examples of your genre from your reading, viewing, or listening experience and  and 2 research sources from course website or beyond. (total length: 6-8 paragraphs, 3+ double-spaced page equivalent)

Karissa Guerrero

1 April 2015

Genres: The Reality We Search for Through Entertainment

            In current times, most school age children are unaware of the word genre because it is rarely used, or taught for that matter. As Cassandra Rea said in her midterm, “Genre was not a word that was used in […] vocabulary growing up, […] the term genre was nonexistent.” However, if you ask children what kind of movies they like or what type of books are they drawn to in the library, you will find that they actually do know what genre is. Genre is a classification of literature or art, such as rap music, romantic comedy movies, science fiction novels, or Greek tragedy plays. It can also be said, that within each specific genre, at some point or another, genres will intermingle within each other in specific works of art or literature. According to the course webpage for Dr. White’s class, “Genre terms are not final answers but discussion points or starters.” This simple statement is powerful for the genre realm because, as it also states on the course webpage, “[…] there are no true genres […]”, meaning that some of the best conversations two people may have will involve multiple genres as part of their interests.  

            The basic definition of genre, according to the course webpage provided by Dr. White, states that there are three categories within genre, subject or audience, form, and narrative. Briefly, the subject or audience category involves the subject matter or the content of the literature, movie, etc., and can often be confusing if not used properly. For example, if you say a teenage movie do you really mean that it is for teenagers, or do you mean that is about teenagers? Another category is form, or formal genre, meaning the number and type of voices that appear in the text or script. There are three subcategories within the formal genre, which include narrator, drama, and narrator plus dialogue. Narrative, or narrative genre, is the last of the three subcategories, and perhaps the most important of the three according to lectures from Dr. White. Narrative genre is “[…] the type of story or plot that a work of literature tells or enacts” according to the course webpage. There are four basic story lines under the narrative genre which are tragedy, comedy, romance, and satire.

 It is helpful to understand the four basic story lines of genre, along with remembering that there are no true genres, so more often than not all of these genres mingle at some point. Tragedy is defined, as society sees it, as an unfortunate event or end to a life story, in other words this means that when something life altering occurs in a negative way, it is a tragedy. However, from a literary standpoint tragedy often is defined as the questioning of justice and morality of individuals in the world. According to Nietzsche, the author of The Birth of Tragedy, tragedy was created when the Apollonian and Dionysian world collided together for the first time. Additionally, through lecture, Dr. White mentioned that Aristotle’s Poetics is the most important description of tragedy, even though it is not a “rule” book. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy states that it “[…] is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude […]”, it is up to the reader and interpreter to decide which of these three definitions fits tragedy best for them.

Comedy, another of the story lines, involves much laughter, wit, and humor, capturing the audience by allowing them to have a good time. Romance, as strange as it may seem, often is seen with comedy. In common terms, romance means a love story. However, in literary terms it often includes a hero’s quest, showing all of the trials and tribulations until the original goal, or prize, has been met. Lastly is satire, which is a word that is derived from the Greeks as “mixed-dish” and has a storyline that is opportunistic and involves other elements of genre such as comedy, humor, wit, and fantasy.

            When I am asked “what are you reading” or “what movie did you watch this weekend”, I find myself giving titles of realistic fiction books or movies. The subject of this genre is, as defined by google, an untrue story which could actually occur with the possibility that the events, people, and places may even be real. I find special interests in reading books and watching movies that I can relate to, or that answer questions that I may never get to experience in my own life. Some people do not classify realistic fiction as a genre because it is a mixture of multiple genres, usually four or more, so some will say they are reading a comedy book, because they are most interested in comedy so that is all the focus on. For example, the book The Fault in Our Stars, when googled, is listed as a realistic fiction book, tragedy, comedy, romance, drama, and fiction. Not one of those answers is wrong, however depending on the subject or audience will depend on how the book is labeled. Realistic fiction tends to get tricky when it comes to movies, especially movies geared towards children. For example, in the movie Mr. Peabody & Sherman, the children learn/witness a true life lesson; however the movie is about a dog for a father and a time traveling machine. So where do you draw the line for realistic fiction, because I would say that is not realistic fiction even though a realistic lesson takes place. However, many adult movies, in fact almost all adult movies, are realistic fiction whether it is two people falling in love, a frat party, or a tragic accident.

            Another distinction of realistic fiction is its form, or formal genre which refers to the types and number of voices present. Realistic fiction can be closely related to narrator plus dialogue, however it is always drama or dialogue. Unlike in the play Agamemnon, where there is a chorus of old men and throughout the play they interject to inform the audience of what is going on and serve as comic relief, realistic fiction is always two or more actors or characters speaking to each other while the audience experiences the book or movie by simply listening to the characters or actors. I do find single voice in realistic fiction novels, every so often, where the chapters are broken into character so that the reader is able to experience the situation from multiple viewpoints. However, sometimes at the end of each chapter the specific character will put in their own thoughts about the situation, which would be mixing single voice with dialogue, which I find to be an interesting technique.

            Realistic fiction tends to be a genre where things mix more than normal in genres, for instance in the narrative, which refers to type of plot based off of four basic story lines. On the course webpage the narrative of tragedy, comedy, romance, and satire are discussed in great detail. As I read them I realized that in realistic fiction, the books typically start with a combination of the four. Normally there is always a problem or an opportunity that the character(s) is trying to resolve ore reach and as the play goes on the goal is met through romance, comedy, and reality. On the course webpage Dr. White says that although the narratives are distinct, they often work together. This statement is fully proven in realistic fiction.