Study of Literary Texts

Types of Prose

Prose most known types are: fictional prose, nonfictional prose

1.  Nonfictional Prose

It is a piece of writing based on facts and real stories of real people in real settings. For example biographies, autobiographies, essays, letters…etc.

2.  Fictional Prose

The term "fiction" derives from the Latin word fingo, which signifies the act of forming, shaping, making, or modeling something. It pertains to narratives that are fabricated or created through the author's imagination. As such, the elements within fiction can be entirely or partially imaginary. Common examples of fiction include novels, short stories, fables, and tales, among others.

A. A novel is a form of prose fiction that can be traced back to the Italian term "novella," which connotes something fresh or new as well as being relatively small in size. It is a lengthy work of prose that tells a complete story e.g. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice.

B. A fable is a genre of storytelling that predates written literature and has its roots in oral traditions. It typically follows a simple structure and often imparts a moral or lesson. Examples of famous fables include Aesop's Fables and La Fontaine's Beast Fables.

C. A tale is another ancient form of fiction, characterized by a straightforward structure. However, it differs from fables in that it includes extraordinary events and incorporates elements of the supernatural. An example of a tale is "The Canterbury Tales." Two common types of tales are folk tales, which often have cultural or traditional origins, and fairy tales, which feature magical or fantastical elements.

D. A short story is a relatively modern form of fiction compared to the previously mentioned types. It tends to focus on a more realistic portrayal of events and characters. Unlike the simpler structures of fables and tales, short stories often involve fully described events and one well-developed characters. They typically revolve around a central character's experiences or perspectives. There are two notable special types of short stories: those centered around an epiphany, where the character experiences a significant realization or revelation, and stories of initiation, which explore the character's growth or coming-of-age journey.

3.  Elements of Prose Fiction

The fictional works are composed of five main elements which are: 1/ story and plot; 2/ narrator and point of view; 3/ characters; 4/setting; 5/ theme.

Story and the plot: refer to the series of actions and events that are organized in a specific scheme. The most known plot-structure is Freytag Plot. It is managed into particular steps:

• Exposition: introductory part; it represents a dramatic situation and some conflict, it hooks the reader’s attention it is also called the initial part
• Complication: the story moves on with new conflicts more details about characters are displayed

Suspense: delay heightening the expectation. More mystery and dilemma are shown.

• Crisis: the moment of high tension in terms of actions and conflict. The latter may occur at different levels external: (man vs.. Woman, man/woman vs. Environment) or internal: (woman/man vs. Herself/himself)
• Climax, Apex, or zenith: the moment of the greatest pressure or contentedness leading towards the end of the story
• Conclusion or resolution: it is the ending of the story it may be happy or sad or even open to expectations

 Narrator and point of view: the story is told by a narrator or narrators which convey a particular perspective that the author wants to show to the reader. We have four types of points of view: omniscient, limited omniscient, first-person, and objective.

 Characters: they are the people or things that animate the story. We have many types of characters that can be qualified according to their role in the story .e.g. major vs. minor, flat Vs; round and unchanging (static) vs. changing (dynamic).

 Setting: it represents the time and space or the social environment of the story.

 Themes: it represents the topic treated in the story. It may be about society, humanity, morality, or universality.