READING A STORY:

What is Fiction?
 Reading Fiction
MISCONCEPTION ABOUT
FICTION FICTION
Fiction - A series of imagined facts One misconception about fiction is
which illustrates truths about human that it opposed to truth therefore
life. - Does not require the considered false and untrue. But it
presentation of actual people and does not all oppose the truth,
situations, but characters and because the situations, incidents and
incidents may be based on actual characters found in fiction are
people and real life events. created to illustrate what may and
can happen.

2
 Principal Types of Fiction

Novel Short Story

1. Short Story is a brief, artistic form 2. Novel is an extensive prose
of prose fiction which centers on a narrative, a book-length story
single main incident and intends to written in prose usually comprising
produce a single dominant 75, 000 to 100, 000 words. Because
impression. Economy, compression, of its length, the novel can develop
and emphasis characterize the short more characters, a more complicated
story. plot, more elaborate settings, and
more themes.

3
 Different Genres of Fiction

Fable Parable Tale

it is a brief story that offers it is a brief narrative with a a tale contains strange and
some pointed statements of realistic plot. It implicitly wonderful events without
truth or explicitly states a teaches a moral. The Holy detailed characterization-the
moral. The characters in fables bible is a rich source of ones you read in fairy tales. It is
are anthropomorphized timeless parables by Jesus also known as “yarn” which aims
animals or natural forces, or Christ. to reveal the marvellous rather
animals or natural forces with Ex. The Parable of the than the character.
human traits or characteristics. Prodigal Son Ex. Jack and the Beanstalk
Ex. Aesop’s The Hare and the
Tortoise

4
 Different Genres of Fiction

Romantic Fiction Realistic Fiction Naturalistic Fiction

it is a narrative that focuses on the characters are ordinary it is also called extreme or ultra
adventurous and daring men and women, like the realism. Characters are portrayed as
actions. It is usually set in a people we encounter a daily having little or no free will. Ex. Guy
remote time and place with a basis- those with real issues de Maupassant’s The Necklace g.
dashing hero who saves a realistically dealt with. Ex. Historical Novel – is a detailed
beautiful maiden in distress. It Novels of Sinclair Lewis and reconstruction of life in another
often views life as optimistic the James. time and perhaps in another place.
and idealistic; thus it prefers a Recaptures the spirit and
happy ending. Ex. Jane atmosphere of an age or era in the
Austen’s Sense and Sensibility past. Ex. Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe

5
 Different Genres of Fiction

Psychological
Historical Fiction Fiction Science Fiction
it is a detailed reconstruction it transfers its setting from the it deals with futuristic concepts
of life in another time and outside world to the mind and such as new world settings,
perhaps in another place. the inner life of a character. The futuristic science and technology,
Recaptures the spirit and psychological novelist uses the space and time travel, intergalactic
atmosphere of an age or era in method called “stream of warfare, extraterrestrial life, alien
the past. Ex. Sir Walter Scott’s consciousness” to externalize abduction and parallel universe.
Ivanhoe the thoughts, ideas, sensations, Ex. Michael Faber’s Under the Skin
memories, impressions that rush
through the mind w/o order or
coherence. Ex. James Joyce’s
Ulysses
6
 Different Genres of Fiction
Non-fiction
Novel/
Non-realistic Fictionalized
Fiction Account Epistolary Novel
stories that have supernatural also known as reconstructed it is an early form of fiction told in
or magic elements which are biography, it is a novel based epistles or letters. Usually contain
classified under the genre of on the true story of real letters by only one character, but at
fantasy and even horror. Ex. people and real life events. times can also contain letters by
Joyce Carol Oates’ The Ex. Truman Capote’s Cold several characters in the book. Ex.
Accursed Blood l. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s
Dangerous Liaisons

7
Bildungsroman/
Apprenticeship Novel

Bildungsroman is a German term for a

“novel of growth or development”. It is a
novel in which a youngster struggles
toward maturity, seeking perhaps some
consistent worldview or philosophy of
life. Ex. Charles Dickens’s Great
Expectation

8
What about
contemporary
genres?
Can you mention some of them?
 Elements of Fiction

CHARACTER POINT OF VIEW PLOT

Refers to the narrator in the story, the
Is an imagined person who inhabits a story, but vantage point from where readers observe is a sequence of events that “has a beginning, a
characters may also be based on real people the events of the story, or the writer’s middle, and an end”. It is a pattern of actions,
special angle of vision, the one whose
whom the writer uses as a models. Characters events, and situations. Plot structure gives shape
perspective is told. - Every story has a
are not limited to human beings. - It is the first narrator, the teller of the story from whose to the different parts of a story just like the
essential ingredient in any successful story. eyes we look through as we read. framing of a house or the skeleton of the body.

SETTING & ATMOSPHERE CONFLICT IRONY

Setting refers to the place and time is an event, situation, or is a figure of speech in which
where and when an events happens. circumstances that shakes up a words are used to mean the
Where a story takes place is also called stable situation; it is a struggle opposite of their actual meanings.
locale. Atmosphere or mood is the between two opposing forces. An irony presents a difference
element that evokes certain feelings between the appearance of the
or emotion in readers. expectation and the reality of the
outcome.

10
Theme

Theme refers to the central idea,

the thesis, the message a story
conveys, or a generalization or an
abstraction from it.
To understand the
theme of a story, you
may look carefully of
the following:

a. Dramatic issue – a story has a dramatic b. Moral – it is what a story shows us- an
premise w/c sets its core dramatic issue. objective, universal truth that we were
The issue then moves toward resolution, unaware of before reading a story. We get
w/c sets up the fulfilment. It is the heart of to realize that message are actually
a story’s premise and revolves around important lessons in life. c. Insight – is the
human needs. capacity to gain an accurate and deep
intuitive understanding of a person or
thing.

12
 FORESHADOWING SYMBOL
is the hint of what is about is a thing that suggests
to take place later. It also more than its literal
serves as a signpost that meaning. It is a concrete
gives the sensitive reader an thing that represents a
idea of what may happen in something in abstract.
Narrative the story.

Devices
MOOD TONE
the attitude of the poet the attitude of the poet
towards the subject matter. towards the audience. It
It refers to the emotional refers to the intellectual
and intellectual attitudes of and emotional attitudes
the author towards his/her of the poet towards his or
subject matter in a given her intended audience
literary work.

13
THANK YOU

14