Identifying a literary genre is not difficult. It is easy to read something and categorize it as one thing or another without actually thinking very hard. However, if we examine the topic further and try to describe why it fits in that category the task becomes slightly more difficult. The question then becomes, “What makes a genre a genre?” The answer is not as simple as it would seem. Genres are defined by the conventions or common traits of the works within them.
Online there are several “genre generator” websites that randomly produce literary works within a specific genre based on computer science. Examining these generator websites can allow someone to better understand what a genre actually is. To create these generator programs, the programmers must set some guidelines. These guidelines are the conventions that make a genre what it is. The programs must allow for random selection of content, but still maintain the basic structure that makes it fit the genre.
An example of one of these genre generators is the website pdos.csail.mit.edu/scigen. This website randomly produces complete research papers designed to fit the conventions of the genre. In this particular case, the works produced must have a very strict structure. The genre is characterized by the title, abstract, introduction, design, sources, and several other sections that make up the paper as a whole. Upon examining the papers produced by this generator it is easy to tell the the conventions of the genre by comparing similarities between the randomly produced pieces. Since the conventions of this genre are so apparent, one can categorize one of these works without even understanding the content.
Another example of a genre generator is the website pandyland.net/random. This website also is programmed to produce random works of a specific literary genre. In this particular case, the genre is comic book strips. When it comes to comic book strips, the genre is defined by its appearance. In a comic strip, there are squares lined up next to each other, each depicting a scene. Generally these scenes have drawings along with dialogue and interactions between characters. If you were to generate new strips on this website continuously, you would begin to notice that these are the things that stay consistent regardless of the content. This is because they are the conventions that make up the genre. By examining how conventions are consistent throughout the genre on this website, a viewer can grasp a better understanding of what genre is.
The third website we have that generates works within a literary genre is memegenerator.net. This website is meant to provide a platform for people to create their own memes, a form of satire commonly found on the internet. This website makes it very easy to identify the conventions of the genre because it provides a structure for the user to fill in the blanks. The structure provided is exactly what makes a meme a meme. It is characterized by a picture background with a two part caption involving writing at the top and bottom. It is a simple design, but it does an excellent job of displaying how a genre is defined by conventions, and if someone were to view the process of creating a meme they would gain a better understanding of genre as a whole.
All of these websites are an example of how works fit into a genre based on their conventions and by using those conventions we can make anything fit a particular genre. If someone wanted to gain a better understanding of what genre actually is, playing around with these websites would show them exactly this point. Defining genre is not an easy thing to do but the key is to comprehend how genre is defined by conventions.
I think you did well on this. All I would say to work on is more detail when explaining the conventions. Even if you're just covering the basic characteristics of the genre, they're literally what make up this piece, so it might be helpful to readers who aren't sure what you're talking about to elaborate on what each one has. But you still did a good job, you show that you get what you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteAndy T,
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote here about using 1st order thinking is, I believe, truly excellent: “Often times I am far too critical of my ideas before they even reach the paper. This results in a lack of creativity in my writing and I feel I have to force words into a paper. After thinking about this concept of combining the two forms of thinking I plan to use this method in my future writing. It is my goal for writing 2 this year to become better at utilizing this technique in order to improve the flow and creativity of my writing while still maintaining structure and intelligent thought.” I hope it works out; I think it will.
Re: PB1A, religious scriptures are absoluuuuuuutely their own genre. Nice pick—that’s a first. Books, chapters, verses, different authors, and outdated (to us) language are certainly conventions. Some others that come to mind are rules/commandments, lessons/morals/adages, and parable-like stories with characters.
Re: PB1B, I want you to pump the breaks just a bit on the phrase “literary genres.” To me, that evokes associations of poems and novels and short stories—genres are much more than just those things. Instead, try to think: “textual genres”—genres with written language (text) in them. I think that considering genres in that light will help you think about them more expansively.
Nice work on the meme analysis. Try to get as specific as you can—those two parts you mentioned are a setup and a punchline.
One quick note, Andy: I can’t read the opening of your PB1B because it’s too dark. (If I highlight it, I can see it, but I don’t want to have to do that.) It might be a good idea to check the “Preview” option on Blogger or to publish it, then go back and see how it looks.
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