This document discusses the concept of genre and how it relates to different types of creative works and audience response. It begins by defining genre as a broad category that works can fall into, such as novels, drama, or poetry, or more specific types like detective novels. The categories of genre are fluid and depend on context. Establishing a genre helps target an audience and leads the purpose, which then shapes a personal response. Later examples discuss how specific movies, books, and other works use genre conventions to position audiences to respond in certain ways. The concluding section emphasizes how understanding genre is important for shaping personal opinions of texts and demonstrating knowledge in exams.

1. Genre
Presented by Beth Weiss and Verity Askew

2. What Do You Think Of?
Adventure Non-Fiction
Fiction Thriller
Comedy Fantasy

3. Genre is a broad term…
Thriller Adventure Political
Romance
Paranoid
Comedy Fiction
Mystery
Drama
Country Western
Satire
Historical
Action Documentary
Science
Faction Crime
Horror
Fantasy
Poetry Novels

4. From the Syllabus…
Genre:
Derived from the French word meaning 'type'.
Genres can be broad categories such as
novels, drama or poetry, or they can be quite
specific types such a 'the detective novel'.
The categories of genres are fluid and
change depending on who is using them and
the context in which they are being used.

5. Genre and Audience
 Establishes the target audience
 Genre leads to target audience which leads
purpose which leads to your own personal
response
 It all starts with the genre!

6. Genre and Personal Response
 Helps formulate your own opinion of a text
 Genre creates expectations of the text
 Can help position us to respond in a certain
way

7. The Turning – Tim Winton
 Fiction anthology of short stories
 Entertaining and Engaging
 Characters not people
 Not a true story- however based on Winton’s
childhood.

8. Pans Labyrinth (2006) – Directed by
Guillermo Del Toro
 Complex genre- combination
 War = realistic/historical elements
 Ending = fairytale
 Violent scenes; Bashing and Amputation =
horror
 Quest narrative = fantasy

9. True Grit (2010) – Directed by
Joel and Ethan Coen
 Country/Western/Adventure film
 Music, costume and setting all reinforce our
expectation for this genre.
 Female protagonist is unusual for the genre,
able to discuss gender roles

10. Cinderella Ate My Daughter (2011) –
Peggy Orenstein
 Non Fiction/Expository
 Purpose is to inform
 Use of facts, information, expert opinion,
statistics etc to back up ideas.
 We are positioned to agree because it is
understood that the information is accurate
and often clinically presented.

11. No Sugar (1988) – Playwright:
Jack Davis
 Stage Drama, based on historical events
 Faction (uses real life events for the bases of
a fictional dramatisation)
 Greater degree of realism and emotional
connection with audiences because of the
reference to real life events (Billy’s emotive
account of the massacre)

12. Bran Nue Dae (2009) – Directed
by Rachel Perkins
 Genre: Musical/comedy
 Elements of Western Australian historical
context- references the dislocation and
oppression of Aboriginal people as a result of
European colonialism in the night time dream
sequence. (Could be seen as similar to the
historical elements in No Sugar)
 Adapted from a stage musical

13. Food Inc – Robert Kenner
 Informative documentary
 Provides information whilst still being
entertaining
 Constructed to evoke certain emotions from
audiences- eg lingering shots on
uncomfortable animals show the negative
and cruel consequences of heavily doctored
mechanicalized farming processes and invite
an emotive response.

14. In The Exam…
Sample Question: Reading Section
 “How has text 2 used genre to position you to
respond to it’s ideas about _______”

15. How To Answer:
 Read the question and read text 2
 Identify the genre and the conventions that
support it
 Identify the big ideas
 Explore your personal response and how the
genre positioned you to feel that way about
it’s ideas

16. In Conclusion
 Genre is derived from the French word meaning
‘type’
 There are many many different genres, some are
broad (novel) some are specific (mystery)
 Genres have certain expectations which can provide
an assumed audience
 Understanding genres can shape your own personal
response as to whether or not you like a text
 Show and understanding of genre in the exam to
show your depth of understanding of the texts

17. Thank You!
Are There Any
Questions?