An overview and examination of the different types of non-fiction

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction OverviewWhat is non-fiction???

Non-fiction is writing about real topicsNon-fiction is about actual people, events,

and placesIt is unlike fiction, obviously, which is about

imagined people, worlds, and events.Non-fiction includes journalism, textbooks,

essays, pamphlets, journals, letters, memoirs, and biographies, just to name a few examples

Non-fiction: OverviewSometimes it is purely factual, but

sometimes authors may also insert their personal opinionsThis is why it is important to read non-fiction

critically, and evaluate the author’s intentions, messages and support.

Elements of Non-fictionThere are four main elements of non-

fiction:1) Purpose2) Organization/Structure3) Tone4) Style

Let’s look at each in more depth….

1st Element: PurposePurpose is essentially the author’s reason

for writing the piece of non-fiction.Is he or she simply informing the audience

about a topic, or is he or she trying to convince the audience of something too?

There are two things in particular you should consider with the author’s purposeAudience: who is the author trying to reach?Bias: does the author have a clear opinion?

2nd Element: Organization/StructureA piece of writing typically has a particular

structure or organizationExamples: chronological, cause and Effect,

definition, analysis, problem-solution, compare/contrast, Narrative, etc.

Often a piece of writing will contain several types of organization within it

3rd Element: ToneTone is basically the author’s attitude

towards his or her subject or the audience Tones can be sarcastic, accusatory,

skeptical, etc.We will examine tone separately later

4th Element: StyleAn author’s style is the particular way he or

she writesStyle can consist of, but is not limited to,

diction, tone, imagery, concrete details, figurative language, perspective, and support

1st Type: Expository Non-fictionExpository non-fiction is generally used to

inform an audience about a particular topicCan also be used to describe or explain

something (ideas, terms, people, events)When writing this type of non-fiction, you

cannot assume the audience has any prior knowledge

Should not include much if any bias

Expository, cont.Different types of expository writing:

Description: describes a topicSequence or process-lists items in a

numerical or chronological order (how-to)Comparison: Comparing two itemsCause/Effect: list causes and the effectsProblem/Solution

Expository, cont.Facts, statistics, quotes, etc. are important

as support in describing a particular topicShould include a strong introduction to

grab the reader’s attention

English 9 Non-fiction Unit

Persuasive Non-Fiction

PurposeThe purpose of persuasive non-fiction is to

persuade the reader to believe a certain opinionIt’s important to identify the author’s

opinion/position, then identify the arguments they use, and finally evaluate the strength of their arguments.

The author should have support to back up their ideas (stats, facts, quotes, etc.)

BiasPersuasive non-fiction will include bias and

opinionIt is your job to find it and evaluate the

author’s argumentsDo not confuse facts with truths

A truth is an idea believed by many yet cannot be provenEx.: dogs are almost always more friendly than cats

Persuasive AppealsAristotle: the father of rhetoric (study of

using language (written or spoken))

He articulated three persuasive appeals:Appeals to LogicAppeals to EmotionAppeals to Character

Appeals to LogicTrying to appeal to people’s sense of

reasonUsing facts, statistics, logical arguments

and valid reasonsAim for the brain

Appeals to Emotion

Trying to appeal to an audience’s emotions or passions

Aim for the heart

Appeals to CharacterThe author is trying to demonstrate the

strength of their character, in order to prove that they are a reliable source

Showing the audience you are trustworthy

Examples of Persuasive AppealsExample #1: Buying a puppy, but it’s

expensiveAppeals to:

Logic: Providing benefits of / reasons for owing a puppy

Emotion: “look at how cute it is!” (appeal to girls)“You’ll be popular with all the girls!” (appeals to

boys)Character: History of successful breeds

Certified as a pure bred dog

Examples of Persuasive Appeals, cont/Example #2: Selling a new car

Appeals to :Logic: Highlighting gas mileage / safetyEmotion: Mentioning how cool the owner will look in

a new carCharacter: of the salesman / dealer; good track

record / awards

Example of Persuasive Non-fictionP.G. Sittenfeld: “Young Voters an Decide

Their Future”Assignment: Identify the

PurposeOrganizationToneStyleIs there any bias? If so, what is it?Which audience do you think the author is

trying to reach?

Second Example: Stephen King“Now You Take Bambi”Examine the purpose and the arguments

King makesAlso, evaluate his support and reasoningIs he biased?

Persuasive Techniques: PropagandaPropaganda: Propaganda is the misuse of

information in order to persuade you of something

Technically it is official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.It is most often found in politics, but it can also

show up in advertising and journalism, among other places

It is used to influence our thought and behaviorIt can be blatantly obvious or incredibly subtle

Propaganda, cont.When politicians,

marketers and writers try to sway your opinion, you need to be on your guard

Especially with propaganda, you need to be able to evaluate the author’s message or argument to determine if it is valid or not

With so much information out there, often we have to take mental short cuts to process it all

Propagandists love these short cuts, because it allows them to manipulate their audience, by stirring emotions, taking advantage of our insecurities, and by using ambiguous language and faulty logic.

If we’re not careful, they may influence our thought without us even knowing it

Propaganda in Animal FarmWe saw propaganda when we studied Animal Farm; it

was something George Orwell wanted readers to be aware of

The pigs use fear tactics when they threaten the return of Mr. Jones, preying upon the animals’ fears of Mr. Jones to keep them in line

Squealer uses the phrase it has been “proved by science” to add legitimacy to his argument-this is the use of transfer

Finally, when the pigs in charge talk about changing the animals’ rations, they use ambiguous language, speaking not of a “reduction” but a “readjustment”

Propaganda TechniquesWe are going to examine eight common

propaganda techniques, though there are many others as well

Much of this information has been taken from the following website: http://www.propagandacritic.com

TransferThink of the transfer

technique as making false connections

With transfer, propagandists will try to sway your opinion by carrying over “the authority, sanction, and prestige of something we respect and revere to something [they] would have us respect”

Uses a lot of symbols to accomplish this

Examples: A commercial for a

prescription drug claiming its effectiveness and safety have been “proven through scientific research”

Placing a picture of an American flag on the packaging of a product-they must be patriotic!

Plain Folks When someone uses the

“plain folks” technique, they are trying to make the audience believe that they are average Joes and their ideas are “of the people”

It works (they hope) because people are more likely to accept the message if they think the speaker/writer is just like them

ExamplesThink about

politicians-they try to get votes by acting like average men and women, when in reality most of them are millionaires

Bill Clinton ate at McDonalds; Ronald Reagan often was pictured chopping wood

EuphemismsEuphemisms

essentially equate to word games

A euphemism is…It aims to convince

someone of an idea by using words that sugar coat or cover up unpleasant realities

Often found in military language

Civilian casualties in wartime: “collateral damage”

MX-Missile was named the “peacekeeper”

Glittering GeneralitiesSome words have very

fixed associations or emotions attached to them: democracy, Christianity, patriotism, etc.

When someone uses this technique, they use these cherished words to lower our resistance to their idea; they hope we will hear those magic words and be sold without considering the idea itself

Perhaps a politician wants us to give up certain liberties or freedoms-they know we will resist, but if they try to explain how “patriotic” it is to give them up, or how important is for our “democracy,” they hope they can sway our opinion-we’ll think, “well, I want to be patriotic, and I do love democracy, so I’ll agree!”

Bandwagon (“Don’t be left behind”)The bandwagon

technique tries to get us to do something because everyone else already is-we wouldn’t want to get left behind!!

Essentially it tries to get us to follow the crowd

Peer pressureSpeakers/writers will

appeal to our common ties-appeal to us as “Americans”

An advertisement for car insurance that claims two million people have already made the switch

Political campaign- “your neighbors support the cause-so should you!!”

TestimonialTestimonial involves

the use of celebrities or athletes to endorse a product

If the person who is endorsing the product, idea, or politician is an expert in that field, there is no problem-the problem is when that person has no experience-and thus no expertise-in that area

Any athlete and Wheaties-but do they really eat them??

Athletes and anything they endorse-do they really use those products and therefore do they really know how good they are?

Are they engineers, scientists, etc. who can tell us that the products live up to their claims?

FearWhen someone tries

to scare you into believing in an idea or a proposal, or when they try to scare you into buying a product, they are using the fear technique

Preys on our fears and insecurities-offering “what if” scenarios and presenting us with the solution to prevent us from that scenario

ExamplesSeatbelt commercials

using footage of horrific car accidents to shock you into wearing seatbelts

Jack in Lord of the Flies-”you don’t want the beast to come back, do you?”

Animal Farm-”you don’t want Mr. Jones to return, do you?”

Name CallingThe opposite of glittering

generalitiesName calling is the use of

labeling someone with a name that has bad connotations or associations in order to get the audience to dismiss someone or something based on this word’s associations rather than actually examine the person’s ideas

This is done to ruin a reputation by linking someone to an unpopular idea or group

Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s-those who held unpopular (though not necessarily bad) beliefs or ideas were labeled as “communists”This preyed upon

people’s fear of communism-to link someone with communism was to suggest they were bad people

Using terms like

Things to ask yourself when evaluating persuasive messagesWhat is it the author wants you to believe

or do?What arguments or techniques does the

author use to sway your opinion?Does the idea, proposal, or product still

have merits when you consider it without the propaganda technique or persuasive appeal-or are they trying to mislead you?

Narrative Non-fictionThe third and final type of non-fiction we’ll

discuss is narrative non-fictionNarrative non-fiction relates a personal

story or narrativeUsually shows a lesson the author has

learned as a result of his or her experienceCan include bias and opinion since it’s

being told from the author’s perspective

Narrative Non-fiction, cont.This type of non-fiction is very similar to

fiction writingOften has characters (sometimes the author)Sometimes includes a conflict to be resolved

Should have a strong introduction to grab the reader’s attention

Conclusion might relate to the lesson learned-may contain an insight based on the author’s experience

Memoirs are the best example of narrative non-fiction

Tone in Non-fictionTone is the author’s attitude towards the

subject or the audienceAs you can see from the handout on tone,

there are many possible tones authors use.There are four components that often make

up an author’s tone: diction, images, details, and sentence structureYou can use the acronym D.I.D.S. to help you

remember

Elements of Tone: DictionDiction is the author’s word choiceAn author will use certain words depending on his

attitude towards the subjectDenotation vs. Connotation

Denotation is the word’s literal dictionary meaningConnotation is the word’s associations or suggestions-

in other words, what associations come to mind when we hear a word

Words can have a positive, neutral or negative connotation

An example would be the word “old,” which is mostly neutralThink of some words with positive connotations to describe

someone who’s oldNow think of some words with a negative connotation

Elements of Tone: ImagesImages are any vivid appeals to understanding

using the senses-images are the kinds of pictures, sounds, tastes, smells, etc. included to help the reader “see” and “experience” the text

You can determine the author’s attitude through the images he or she chooses to include

What kinds of images would an author include if he or she were reviewing a restaurant?Sights:Sounds:Smells:Tastes:

Elements of Tone: DetailsDepending on the purpose, an author will select

specific details to include when writing a piece of non-fiction

The author or speaker’s tone will depend on his or her purpose

Consider for a moment that you were playing baseball with friends, and you hit a baseball that sailed through someone’s living room window.What details would you include if you were telling a

friend about it?What if you were telling your parents?

Authors of persuasive non-fiction will likely include or leave out certain details depending on their purpose

Elements of Tone: Sentence StructureThe fourth and final thing to consider when

evaluating an author’s tone is the sentence structure they use

Sentence structure is the length and rhythm of the sentences they create

Longer, rambling sentences will likely convey a dry, boring, or even gloomy tone

Short, choppy sentences may suggest an upbeat or excited tone

Tone: Sample PassagesFirst read the excerpt from Edgar Allen

Poe’s story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”How would you characterize the tone? How do

the four elements of tone create such a tone?Next, consider the poem by Jack Prelutsky,

“Today is Very Boring”What kind of tone do you notice here? How is

it created?Article from The Onion

Note the sarcastic tone-how do they get this effect?