Literary Genres as Norms and Good Habits

Abstract

The article argues that literary genres cannot be defined on strictly formal grounds, since they are determined by the representational goals pursued by literary works. A survey of the subgenres of the novel shows that the differences between them are linked to the way in which they imagine fictional worlds. Generic differences are normative only in the sense that they are good trade habits, useful recipes that help writers achieve representational success.

Improving landholder engagement in biodiversity conservation: What can be learned from literary theory and design

“…By focusing on genre, Frow and fellow literary theorists such as Pavel (2003) and Poovey (2014) aim to stress ‘what texts do’ (Frow, 2005, 129), how they function (Poovey, 2014), the needs they fulfil (Pavel, 2003) and their ‘intentional direction’ (Connor, 1995, 9), rather than what texts ‘say they are about’, which is the case in other units of analysis such as thematic content (Frow, 2005, 129). As we aim to demonstrate shortly, such a focus is particularly apt when analysing texts such as the SVR, which, perhaps even more so than a literary text, is defined less by its content than by variously implicit and explicit formal conventions that convey meaning.…”

Genre and Interpretation

“…This allows for ready comparison between an utterance and the genres or generic structures with which it is related; and that, in turn, opens up consideration of how the utterance repeats, how it uses, and how it deviates from them. In discussing why genres matter in literary studies, Pavel (2003) ties the role of genres in interpretation to the role of genres in the production of a work:…”

Beyond archetypes: Advancing the knowledge of narrative fiction in future scenarios

“…In Fergnani and Song (2020), for example, the films Her, Bladerunner, and Avatar are grouped together in the 'Growth and Decay' archetype, as though the imaginative distinctiveness of these works could be adequately accounted for by such macro level units of analysis. As noted by Pavel (2003) in his exemplary discussion of literary genres, the fact that some texts possess readily identifiable formal features should not lead researchers to the conclusion that such features are the most meaningful way to interpret texts in general.…”