Genre Theory

This concept is genre theory. So what is genre theory? Well according to Dean, genre theory is “address instructional challenges underscore the new way genre is being defined.” From this we have to define genre which is “very difficult, partly because, as Paul W. Richardson notes, "a perfectly useful word has now been so expanded in meaning as to render it imprecise" (124-25).” What all this means that genre has no real explicit definition because the meaning of genre has been overly used over the years. From this definition, genre are “Not Only about Literary Texts Anymore”, “More Than Forms”, “Not Fixed”, and “Not Sortable into Precise Categories nor Are They Classification Systems”. Since genres are hard to define some theorists have created a theory (hence genre theory). From this genres, have seven characteristics which are: social, rhetorical, dynamic, historical, cultural, situated, and ideological. For explanation for each characteristic and also a fun video check out my Class Notes: Day 14. A good example of genre theory is an assignment in English 1101 where we had to take anything we wanted, like a newspaper article, video, TV show, anything and create three different adaptations of that genre. My original genre was a song from David Nail called “Red Light”.

Here is the video below:

From there we had to create three different genre adaptations (one technology based) and here they are:

FIrst adaptation: Conversation via Text Message

http://www.classtools.net/SMS/23_KHBD3M

Second adaptation: A Letter

Dear the One I Loved,

Ever since that day, ever since that moment you said we should break, my world has been crashing down. Ever since you said that, I didn’t try to lie or pick a fight, I just sat there and watch you walk away. Ever since that Sunday, even when it’s sunny outside and no rain in sight, inside me it’s just a storm of sadness and disbelief. Ever you since you stepped out of my car, I have been sitting at this red light. While others are going on about their day, I’m just sitting here with my world falling around me. I cannot express how much pain I felt, how much sorrow was inside me when I saw you walk away. Every now and then I think of you but when I do it takes me back to that Sunday at that red light where I sat for what seemed like forever. I remember… there was a women in front of me calming her child in the back and a man in his Sunday clothes behind me waiting for green. And for me I couldn’t even see past that red light. You meant show much to me. And now this is what I don’t love you feels like. But oh well, I hope you have a good life.

Sincerely,

The One You Loved

Third adaptation: A Free Write

Sometimes a heart break is easy to see some are not so easy. Usually at first, it’s especially hard. Every step you take, every move you make, it seems like your world is crashing down all around you. Breakups can happen unexpectedly and on just about any time. For example, a break up could happen one the brightest of Sundays with no rain and sight or a guy can have his arms around his girl one night and twenty-four hours later he is lying in bed crying himself to sleep. The days after are especially worse. The first day you walk around with a frown on your face or if you are driving, you can make it past the red light. Whenever you hear the words “it’s over”, your heart plummets into a deep abyss. Sometimes when the heart break happens it is better not to lie or pick a fight because it will only make things worse. Break ups are hard. Break ups are difficult. But after you go through the valley of heart break, there is a mountain of strength and love.

From these three adaptations, we can see that they all follow the seven characteristics of genre theory. The way this relates to writing is that anything you write is classified in some type of genre, so each genre has seven characteristics to it. After we did our final draft of our inquiry paper, we had to create a an adaptation of our paper and its under the genre adaptation section. What do you think about the genre theory? Comment below!

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