historical fiction V.S. contemporary realistic fiction Essays

Mother was in Kingston, approximately 55 miles away from her daughter. Every day she called, hoping to talk to her, but kayana never listened for more than few seconds before running off to play. Then mother had an idea. She had read her favourite books so many times that she had memorize many of them. So the next time she called, she began by reciting one of her daughter?s favourite stories. Success! Kayana listened for 3 or 4 minutes before running off to play. Literature is a tie that binds mothers to their children and teachers to their students. This bond remains unbroken with the passing of the years. As a tattoo leaves an incredibly mark on the body, so does the written word leave on incredibly mark on the minds of children. Hearing literature set the stage for reading literature on your own. There are many types of children?s literature, and fortunate are the children who are exposed to them. Traditional literature and contemporary realistic fiction are two such genres that w ill be highlighted in the paragraphs to come. Traditional literatures are stories passed down through oral storytelling and from generation to generation fall. Over time and through many tellers, these stories altered, drawing upon each new generation?s truth to become the stories we are familiar with today. Rich in tradition and richer in language, traditional literature connects the future to the past. Traditional literature forms the basis for many pieces of modern literature and can help provide readers with knowledge of stories passed through various generations. Because traditional literature is that which has been passed from one generation to the next, it can provide readers with insight into the world's various cultures. Its main purpose is to provide entertainment. However, important themes often exist within traditional literature. Themes might include foolishness, emotional outlets, and cultural values, to name a few. Traditional literature comes in five different forms: folktales, fables, myths, epic and legendary h eroes, and the Bible. It often comprised of short, high-quality literature that facilitates the formation of a common, human bond. It typically has fast-moving plots that often offer humorous, happy endings. The characters are typically flat, being either completely good or completely evil. Rich language and a variety of language patterns are evident. Such language facilitates vivid imagery within the readers mind. Motifs, or the smallest part of the tale that can stand independently, are often evident in traditional literature. Motifs include magical powers, transformations, magical objects, wishes, and trickery. Sometimes, traditional literature includes variants, or a different version of a common story. According to Huck/et al (2004, p. 238), "each variant has basically the same story or plot as another, but it might have different characters and a different setting or it might use different motifs". On the other hand, Contemporary realistic fiction is fiction that accurately po rtrays life as it was lived in the past or life as it is lived today. (Norton, 2003, page 390). It is characterized by themes such as maturing, relationships with family and friends, understanding one self, dealing with problems, and more. Contemporary realistic books can help readers understand themselves, see the world through another person's perspective, understand universal problems and issues, experience role models, and prepare for living in the real world. Popular contemporary realistic fiction oftentimes includes humor, animals, sports, and mysteries. There is often an element of character growth or self-realization in the book. Titles can promote tolerance and understanding of others and their experiences. It "extends children's horizons by broadening their interests, allowing them to experience new adventures and showing them different ways to view and deal with conflicts in their own lives" (Through the eyes of a child (2003), p. 363 As mention in the paragraph above folktales is a sub- genre of traditional literature. Folktales feature common folks, such as peasants, and commonplace or events. There may be some ?make- believes? elements, like talking animals, but the stories, overall, sound logical ? even realistic. Folktales seek to explain things about life, nature, or human condition. Hunt (1994) also indicated that ?folktale emerges from the folk, or grass roots, culture and becomes folk literature when it is recorded in written form.? It would be useless