Genre and Modality

Genre and Modality

English 101 (Fall 2025) | Unit 3, Lecture 1

Instructor: Korbin Jones

Vocabulary

• Text:

  • In a rhetorical context, anything that carries or communicates a message is considered to be a text.

  • A text can take various forms beyond writing.

• Genre:

  • A method of categorization wherein certain conventions and expectations shape the boundaries of each category.

  • Texts are separated into categories based on form, stylistic conventions, and other elements.

• Multimodality:

  • A text is considered to be multimodal when it utilizes multiple modalities simultaneously.

  • Main modalities for this project are:

  1. Written

  2. Visual

  3. Auditory

What is Genre? Part 1

• Genre is created by identifying similar elements within related works.

• It is influenced by:

  • Audience expectations and desires

  • Social trends

  • Cultural norms

• Example of Audience Expectation:

  • If cinema ads promote a jump-scare filled horror film but the movie turns out to be a historical drama, audience members might feel misled.

• Genre Conventions:

  • Standards or expectations that define a genre, developed over time—not instantaneous.

• Change Over Time:

  • Genres evolve as cultures change.

  • Example: Science fiction works can transition to realistic fiction based on scientific advancements (e.g., Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne).

What is Genre? Part 2

• Identifying genres can help reveal a text's purpose and target audience.

• Texts often fit into multiple genres by borrowing and recombining various conventions.

• A genre cannot exist from a single work but requires many works to define it.

  • Example: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) is recognized as the first work of science fiction, but at the time there was no conception of that genre.

• Genre exists on a spectrum of flexibility and strictness.

• Key indicators of genre conventions include:

  • Formatting

  • Organization

  • Style

  • Tone

Three Broad Genres

• Fiction:

  • Defined primarily by imaginative or fabricated contents, including events and individuals.

• Nonfiction:

  • Defined by contents considered mostly true or based upon actual evidence.

• Poetry:

  • Focuses on self-expression and emotional resonance through rhythm and language.

Common Kinds of Fiction

Examples of Fiction

• Mediums (How messages are communicated):

  • Short stories

  • Novels

  • Novellas

  • Movies

  • TV shows

  • Video games

• Subgenres:

  • Fantasy

  • Science fiction

  • Realistic fiction

  • Historical fiction

  • Horror

  • Fan fiction

Inside Out

Content:

• Fiction:

  • Fantasy

• Genres:

  • Comedy

  • Children’s comedy

  • Animation

  • Children’s animation

  • Computer animation

  • Drama

  • Coming-of-age

  • Adventure

Oppenheimer

• Fiction:

  • Historical fiction

  • Realistic fiction

  • Drama

  • Historical drama

  • Biopic

  • Thriller

• Director: Christopher Nolan

• Key Actors:

  • Cillian Murphy

  • Emily Blunt

  • Matt Damon

  • Robert Downey Jr.

  • Florence Pugh

• Notable Features:

  • Shot with IMAX film cameras

  • Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan

Paranormal Activity

• Fiction:

  • Horror

  • Supernatural horror

  • Thriller

  • Mystery

  • Found-footage

  • Definition of Found-footage:

    • A genre that mimics stylistic conventions associated with non-fiction for fictional works.

Common Kinds of Nonfiction

Examples of Nonfiction

• Mediums:

  • Essays

  • News reports

  • Encyclopedias

  • Podcasts

  • Analytics

  • Documentary film

  • (Auto)biography

  • Memoir

  • True crime

  • Criticisms

  • Travelogues

  • Self-help

Quiet on Set

• Nonfiction:

  • Documentary

  • Docuseries

  • True crime

RuPaul’s Drag Race

• Nonfiction:

  • Reality TV

  • Competitive game show

  • Dramality:

    • A blend of Drama and Reality, defining the show's style.

Abbott Elementary

• Fiction:

  • Comedy

  • Sitcom

    • Situational Comedy

  • Mockumentary

    • Not nonfiction, yet mimics some nonfiction elements.

Nonfiction vs. Fiction Boundaries

• Discussion Point:

  • When does nonfiction push the boundaries too far and become fiction?

• Example Case:

  • A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, marketed as a memoir, faced accusations of being largely fabricated.

  • Oprah Winfrey's live critique of Frey’s claims highlights the ethical implications in nonfiction narratives.

  • Frey acknowledged falsifying some experiences for artistic expression, emphasizing the tension between factual accuracy and narrative effectiveness.

Common Kinds of Poetry

Examples of Poetry

• Mediums:

  • Oral stories

  • Song lyrics

  • Children’s books

  • Nursery rhymes

  • Freestyle

  • Slam

  • Blank verse

  • Spoken word

  • Limericks

  • Haikus

  • Sonnets

  • Ballads

Detailed Example: The Odyssey

• Type of Poetry:

  • Narrative poem

  • Epic Poem Characteristics:

    • Did not rhyme in Ancient Greek; utilized dactylic hexameter (a rhythmic structure for memorization).

Further Examination: Birds of a Feather

• Type of Poetry:

  • Lyrics

  • Music Genres:

  • New Wave

  • Pop

Additional Example: Lemonade

• Type of Poetry:

  • Song lyrics

  • Spoken word

  • Blank verse

  • Confessional

  • Medium:

  • Film (short film, music video)

  • Music (Pop, electronic, rap, R&B, rock, etc.)

Genre Conventions

Activity Time

• Engage in activities that explore the conventions of various genres and modalities.