1. the nature and uses of fiction & reader response

8/4/2019 1. the Nature and Uses of Fiction & Reader Response

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Fiction as a Literary Genre& Uses of Fiction

Parlindungan Pardede

Universitas Kristen Indonesia


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Warming Up 1


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Fate is in Your Own Hands

Once upon a time, a general was leading his army intobattle against an enemy ten times the size of his own.Along the way to the battle field, the troops stopped by asmall temple to pray for victory. The general held up a coinand told his troops, "I am going to implore the gods to helpus crush our enemy. If this coin lands with the heads ontop, we'll win. If it's tails, we'll lose. Our fate is in thehands of the gods. Let's pray wholeheartedly."After a shortprayer, the general tossed the coin. It landed with the headson top. The troops were overjoyed and went into the battle

with high spirit. Just as predicted, the smaller army wonthe battle. The soldiers were exalted, "It's good to have thegods on our side! No one can change what they havedetermined." "Really?" The general show them the coin--both sides of it were heads.


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What is Fiction?

Derived from the Latinfictum meaning invented, theterm "fiction" is etymologically defined as anynarrative or informative work which deals, in part orin whole, with information or events that are

imaginary (invented by the author) and coverspoems, short stories, plays and novels (all of themare based on imagination).

To differentiate it from poetry and drama, modern

literary work limits fiction only to any narrative workwritten in prose (a piece of writing whose structureis formed by paragraphs and chapters).


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Categories of Fiction

a) Short story: A work written up to 7,500

words. (125 pages)

b) Novelette: A work of written in 7,500 to

17,500 words. (2560 pages)

c) Novella: A work written in 17,500 to 75,000

words. (60250 pages)

d) Novel: A work of 75,000 words or more

(about 250+ pages)


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Early Popular Genres of Fiction

Parable: instructive; reveals a moral or lesson which is not

necessarily explicitly stated

Fable: instructive; explicit lesson, often stated outright; features

animals to represent human beings; creates a strong image in

readers head while reading Myth: based on a historical event that is meant to serve as an

explanation for some phenomenon of nature or human behavior;

usually uses gods as characters.

Legend: tells about a national or folk hero; takes place in a particular

time and place and is partly true and partly fictitious; the charactertraits of the hero are typically exaggerated.

Falk Tale: humorous story with extreme exaggerations; the hero

usually does impossible things with ease.


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The Lion & The Mouse

A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouserunning over his face. Rising up angrily, he caught him

and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously

entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I

would be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed

and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lionwas caught by some hunters, who bound him by ropes to

the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came

gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free, exclaim

"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you,

expecting to receive from me any repayment of yourfavor; I now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse

to con benefits on a Lion."


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Modern Genres of Fiction Fantasy: imaginative, but could never really happens; the

setting may be of another world; and the characters mightbe magical.

Historical: takes place in a historically accurate time andsetting; the characters and some events are fictional.

Mystery: involves suspense and the solving of a crime;clues are typically given throughout the story to solve themystery at the end of the book.

Realistic Fiction: seems real or could happen in real life; setin present day; includes modern day problems and events.

Science Fiction: is typically set in the future or on otherplanets; based on the impact of actual, imagined, orpotential science.

Adventure: the protagonist and other major characters areplaced in dangerous situations and must use their wit andskills to defeat the antagonist.


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Why Fiction is a Rewarding Literary Work

It is felt more realistic and closer to life than

poetry and drama

It broadens and intensifies readers enjoyment

and understanding of life

Its subject matter, themes, and techniques are

as broad as human experience


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USES OF FICTION

1) Interpretation of Life2) Entertainment or Escape3) Propaganda4) Reportage5) Agent of Change in Language andThought6) Expression of the Spirit of Its Age7) Creator of Life-Style and Arbiter ofTaste

Parlindungan PardedeFKIP-UKI


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Interpretation of Life

Fictions convey a philosophy of life. Gales Billrevealswhat a good father must do in the last six months of hislife. Hemingways Cat in the Rainshows how thatpaying attention to ones spouse is very important for a

happy marriage. An interpretive story presents an insight into nature and

life conditions. It gives us a keener awareness of what itis to be human. It helps us understand ourselves and

those around us. By reading fiction, we learn from the characters

experiencewhich is much easier than learning fromother peoples experience in daily life.


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Entertainment or Escape

Fiction is a useful means of taking the reader out of hisdull or oppressive daily life. Have you ever read a

humorous story to kill the time and cheer yourself

when your bus is trapped in a traffic jam? Its worth

trying!

The escape writer is full of surprises. He pulls rabbits

out of hats, snatches brightly colored balls out of the

air. He takes us on a wild exciting ride of theimagination on an impossible venture. He entertains us

and allows us to escape from the mundane.


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Propaganda

Fictions can be used to realize the desire to make

the reader initiate certain actssocial, religious, or

politicaland it is the essence of all propaganda.

Asimovs True love initiates the reader not to loose

control of technology in order not to be a victim of

it. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby(1839) attacked the

abuses of schools to some purpose, as his OliverTwist(1838) drew attention to the horrors of

poorhouses


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Reportage

Some novels include factual data, especially in

journalistic style in order to achieve a purpose.

Hersey's Hiroshima (1946) describes the events

after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki in continued detail, focusing on the

lives of six separate individuals. It draws many

people sympathy who later protest theintention of using nuclear weapons against the

Soviet Union.


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Agent of Change in Language and Thought

Writers of fiction sometimes affect the language

and thinking. Be they are in a small or great

number, some novels have affect the language of a

society. In the aspect of thinking mode, the storiesof Horatio Alger (19th cent.) which deal with

American Dream by describing how poor people

become rich because of their hard work, honesty,

and luck, affected many people to pursue theirdream even up to now.


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Expression of the Spirit of Its Age

Novelists can make a societys unclear thoughts and feelings

come to articulation through the exact and imaginative use of

language and symbol.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's overtly shows the spirit of

American Dream. In it the major character appears as

someone driven by the belief that everyone has the opportunity

to achieve their goals and become rich and prosperous if they

work hard. Using that characters Fitzgerald reveals that ifAmerican Dream is corrupted by greed and the pursuit of

pleasure, disaster will likely to occur.


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Creator of Life-Style and Arbiter of Taste

Novels have been known to influence, thoughperhaps not very greatly, modes of social behavior

and even, among the very impressionable,

conceptions of personal identity. However, the use of

fiction as creator of life-style and arbiter of tasteseems more obvious after being translated into one

of the dramatic media--stage, film, or television

which make it exert a large influence. Tom Jonesas

a film in 1963 modified table manners and coiffuresand gave American visitors to Great Britain a new

(and probably false) set of expectations.


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an essay used to express a thoughtful reaction topoem, short story, novel essay, or other forms of

text someone has read.

based on the theory that the individual createsher or his own meaning through a "transaction"

with the text based on personal associations.


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Outline of Reader Response

Section 1: introduction

What point interests me the most? How it is shownthrough the story?

Section 2: Discussion on the main point

Why the point interests me? Which parts of the storyexpress the point?

Section 3: Reflection & Recommendation

Do I agree with the point? Does it remind me of

something else I have read or heard or any currentissues or problems? Does it motivate me to read otherworks by this author, or not? Why or why not? Towhom I should recommend the story?


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1. the nature and uses of fiction & reader response

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