Three Main Subgenres of Fiction

Three Main Subgenres of Fiction

by Charles Lin（林韋丞）

Fiction, according to its length, content, and structure, can be divided into three subgenres: short stories, fairy tales, and novels. Short stories can always enlighten us as to the meaning of life, fairy tales evoke the memories of our childhood, and novels share with us many life lessons. Therefore, from fiction we gain insights into our minds, the phenomena of society, and the world of inspiration.

Denotatively, a short story is defined as a prose narrative which is too brief to be published as a single book. Usually it is a focused narrative in which one or two main characters are presented. For instance, Amy Tan’s A Pair of Tickets is a narrative which lays stress on the protagonist’s awareness of self-identity and cultural shock when she discovers her long-lost twin sisters in a foreign country. Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour is a tale depicting the main character who after her husband died realizes her hunger for freedom and new life, which were dominated by patriarchal order. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown depicts a man named Brown who loses faith in his wife named Faith when he discovers that his wife, regardless of his words, tricks him. From such an incident, he then knows that faith cannot exist without mutual trust.

A fairy tale refers to a short narrative folklore in which main characters would fight against supernatural beings such as witches, giants, or animals. For instance, Rapunzel, a well-known fairy tale, depicts an evil witch’s wicked deeds to a girl named Rapunzel and to a prince who deeply falls in love with the girl. The Little Riding Hood expresses a little girl’s interactions with a thirsty wolf, which is eager to swallow the girl. Cinderella portrays a poor girl’s struggle to bravely bear her misfortune by the assistance of a witch, and a prince’s search for his true love, Cinderella. All the three stories have a happy ending. No doubt, they remind us of our childhood.

Apart from the above two subgenres, a novel is an extended work of a fictional prose narrative which has more characters and varied scenes than a short story, and which focuses on the deeds or thoughts of the protagonist. For instance, Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea describes the interactions between an old man and the sea, from which the old man realizes a life lesson—the significance of persistence and the enjoyment of loneliness. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom vividly presents his memories of his professor’s life lessons, trying to teach readers the essence of love, family, and life. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini pictures a child’s confession of his childhood to his best friend whom he betrayed. From his confession he eventually learns the real meaning of his life.

To sum up, reading different types of narratives can give us distinct feelings and meanings. After reading short stories, I am always enlightened as to my self-identity and the significance of freedom and faith. When I go through a fairy tale, I feel some nostalgia not only in my heart but also deep in my soul. A novel is just like a teacher because it teaches me the precious life lessons. For example, from the novels I have read, three life lessons are taught— how to enjoy loneliness, how to learn something from our daily life, and how to confess to what I did in the past. I become more mature after I have learned many valuable lessons in life from fiction. Therefore, I can say fiction enriches my life.

Reference of Pictures:
Kate Chopin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Chopin
Little Red Riding Hood
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Little-Red-Riding-Hood-Posters_i844865_.htm
The Old Man and Sea
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/valtman/presentation.html