Kelompok 7

Literary Genre ( Fiction )

MAKALAH

Diajukan Untuk Memenuhi Tugas Mata Kuliah

Introduction To Literature

Disusun Oleh :

Nama : NPM :

1. Indah Permata Sari 1911040359

2. Helen Lela Ulfarida 1911040348
Jur/Kelas/Smt PBI/D/III

Dosen Pengampu :
Hariyanto, M.Pd

PENDIDKAN BAHASA INGGRIS

FAKULTAS TARBIYAH DAN KEGURUAN
UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI RADEN INTAN LAMPUNG
2020
A. Defination Literary Genre

Genre means a type of art, literature, or music characterized by a specific

form, content, and style. For example, literature has four main genres:
poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. All of these genres have particular
features and functions that distinguish them from one another. Hence, it is
necessary on the part of readers to know which category of genre they are
reading in order to understand the message it conveys, as they may have
certain expectations prior to the reading concerned.

A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be

determined by literary technique, tone, content, or even length. Genre should
not be confused with age category, by which literature may be classified as
either adult, young-adult, or children's. They also must not be confused with
format, such as graphic novel or picture book. The distinctions between
genres and categories are flexible and loosely defined, often with subgroups.
The most general genres in literature are epic, tragedy, comedy, novel, short
story, and creative nonfiction. They can all be in the genres prose or poetry,
which shows best how loosely genres are defined. Additionally, a genre such
as satire, allegory or pastoral might appear in any of the above, not only as a
sub-genre, but as a mixture of genres. Finally, they are defined by the
general cultural movement of the historical period in which they were
composed.

B. Defination Literary Fiction

When compared to genre fiction, literary fiction tends to follow non-

conventional plot structures while containing embedded symbolism and
allegory.

As a general rule, literary fiction and literary fiction writers are often studied in
English departments at universities and receives careful criticism in journals
like the Paris Review, The New York Review of Books, and The London
Review of Books. Literary fiction can include novels, novellas, and short
stories.

Examples of literary fiction that are known to most readers include works such
as:

 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise

 James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room
 Stephen Crane’s The Open Boat
 Richard Ford’s The Sportswriter
 Joyce Carol Oates’s Do With Me What You Will
 Edward P. Jones’s The Known World
 E. Annie Proulx’s Postcards

C. Characteristic Literary Fiction

Literary fiction is not a rigidly defined term, but most works of literary fiction
include one or more of these facets:

 Character-focused narratives
 Ample symbolism, metaphor, and allegory
 Advanced vocabulary infused with imagery
 Ambiguous plot points, including even the work’s conclusion
 Exploration of larger philosophical themes regarding the human
condition and the will of nature
 Exploration of larger trends in history and culture
 Lack of adherence to a fixed plot formula
D. Defination Genre Fiction

For popular examples of genre fiction, consult the book racks in airports and
grocery stores. There you will encounter many of the most successful genre
fiction authors including Dan Brown, Danielle Steele, Anne Rice, John
Grisham, Tom Clancy, James North Patterson, and Helen Fielding.

Some genre writers tend to straddle a line between genre-focused

commercial fiction and the traditions of literary fiction. John Updike, for
instance, has been noted for his somewhat pulpy novels that excited readers
with their boundary-pushing considerations of sex and love, but which also
seem to mine the human condition. Meanwhile, J.R.R. Tolkien developed a
worldwide following within the fantasy genre, yet his Lord of the
Rings trilogy is famous for its intricate allegory for man’s relationship to
nature and—debatably—the geopolitics of the twentieth-century western
world.

E. Characteristics of Genre Fiction

Genre novels tends to be defined by the following characteristics:

 Adheres to time-honored formulas for plot and character arcs

 Typically more literal with fewer obscure symbols and allegories
 Whatever symbolism might exist is typically clear and easily
accessible to all readers
 Often fits specific genres like mystery, horror, science fiction (sci-
fi), romance, military thrillers, and spy novels
F. Difference Between Literary Fiction and Genre Fiction

Most critics define genre fiction as the opposite of literary fiction. In some
academic and journalistic circles, genre fiction is considered inferior to
literary fiction, but in fact, genre fiction is more popular with large masses
of readers. Indeed most fiction books on the bestseller list would be
classified as genre fiction rather than literary fiction.

The best books are not necessarily literary novels, but such books tend to
endure for decades if not centuries. While some genre fiction also endures
for similar periods of time—this of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s
Cabin—it is safe to speculate that future university English classes will
spend the vast majority of their curricula studying books from the literary
fiction subgenre.