ELA 30-1 Mod 2 the Narrative Voice Lesson 17

42 English Language Arts 30-1: Module 2

escape fiction

fiction intendedchiefly to entertain,providing little orno insight andusually emphasizingplot and action

interpretivefiction

fiction intendedboth to entertainand to offer someinsight into humannature or society

GOING FURTHER

Gabrielle Roy (1909–1983) is one of Canada’s most beloved and admired writers.A Francophone born and raised in Manitoba, Gabrielle Roy went on to becomeinternationally famous for her sensitive, compelling stories and novels.

If you enjoyed “The Dead Child” and would like to read more of Gabrielle Roy’sworks, your librarian is sure to be able to help you. If you’d like to learn abouther life and writings, you’ll turn up a good number of sites dedicated to thisfamous Canadian writer with an Internet search.

In this lesson, you’ve thought about the difference between personal and criticalresponses to texts—especially to works of fiction like short stories. In the nextlesson, you’ll begin to analyse works of fiction according to how accurately andhonestly they reflect reality and what they have to say about the human experience.

Lesson 17: Escape Fiction and InterpretiveFiction

Two Types of Fiction

English language arts teachershave traditionally often dividedworks of fiction into twocategories: escape fictionescape fictionescape fictionescape fictionescape fiction andinterprinterprinterprinterprinterpretivetivetivetivetive fictione fictione fictione fictione fiction.

The distinction between thesetwo types of literature can beshown clearly with the aid ofa chart.

Copyright ©2003 Alberta Learning

43Section 2: Reading and Responding to Short Stories

Escape Fiction Interpretive Fiction

• helps readers escape from the problemsof the real world

• is meant to give readers pleasure

• provides a false or illusionary view of life

• takes readers deeper into the real worldand its troubles

• is meant to give readers pleasure and anincreased understanding of life

• tries to clear up illusions and depictreality honestly

This distinction requires a bit of explanation. First, it’s important to remember thatall fiction, whether escape or interpretive, is meant to give readers pleasure;otherwise very few people would bother to read it. Interpretive fiction, though, goesbeyond mere entertainment; it offers significant insight into human life as well. Inother words, to the degree that a work is truly interpretive, its insight won’t be somecommonplace and generally accepted moral or adage. Rather, it will be an unusualand thought-provoking viewpoint that should make readers think and question theirown ideas.

Second, bear in mind that this escape/interpretive distinction isn’t cut and dried. It’sreally a matter of degree. For this reason, today many teachers no longer use thesetwo terms; they don’t want to give students the idea that every work of fiction theyencounter can be neatly pigeonholed. So as not to fall into this trap, you shouldthink of the escape/interpretive distinction as a scale or continuum along which youcan place the works of fiction you read.

It’s not always easy to determine where on this scale to place a work of fiction.Sometimes an escapist story masks itself as interpretive by appearing to saysomething serious about life. At other times you might be convinced that aninterpretive story you’ve just read must be essentially escapist because you found itexciting or suspenseful. What you should do in such cases is ask yourself questionssuch as these:

• How honest is the story in depicting life? Are there last-minute escapes and anunlikely happy ending, or do things work out in a truly believable manner?

• Is what the story says about human life a commonplace idea or a moral; or isit a new and unusual insight that makes you think?

• Does the story rely heavily on things like suspense and excitement to keepreaders interested, or are there better reasons to keep reading?



• Are characters like real, believable human beings, with goodqualities and bad; or are there heroes and villains, good guysand bad guys?

• When you’ve finished the story, does it leave you with a warm, cozy,sentimental feeling of happiness; or do you think that yes, that’s just the waylife really does work—even though you wish, perhaps, that it didn’t?

Bearing all this in mind, respond to the following questions.

1.1.1.1.1. Tell approximately where on the escape/interpretive scale you’d place these twostories:

• “The Dead Child” • “Harrison Bergeron”

2.2.2.2.2. For each of these stories, explain why you placed it where you did on theescape/interpretive scale.

Compare your responses with those in the Appendix, Section 2: Lesson 17 on page 141.



Escape and Interpretive Fiction in the Media

Just as short stories and novels can be classified as having been written either totake readers away from the real world and entertain them (escape literature) or totake them deeper into the real world and broaden their awareness of life and people(interpretive literature), so can many of the TV shows and movies you watch.

3.3.3.3.3. With a partner or a small group, generate a list of TV shows and movies thatyou’ve watched recently. These works should tell stories; don’t select things likenews or variety programming. Make sure that your list contains at least twat least twat least twat least twat least twentyentyentyentyentyitems.

Discuss each show or film in turn and determine whether it’s escapist orinterpretive. You may wish to suggest that some works are a bit of both—that is,that they fall somewhere near the middle of the scale. When this happens, try todecide which side of the centre line the work falls on; use the criteria you’vebeen given earlier in this lesson to help you decide.

In your notebook, copy out a chart like the one that follows and use it to respondto this question. It’s been started for you.

Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.

—Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626)


Show or Film Escape or Interpretive

Friends escape

Band of Brothers interpretive



Two Types of Reader

Just as there are two broad categories of fiction, so are there two types of reader:

• readers who can enjoy only escape fiction

• readers who have learned to enjoy interpretive fiction as well as escapeliterature

Readers in the first category, whenever they read a story or novel, tend to insist onthings like

• an exciting plot

• a sympathetic hero

• a nasty villain

• a happy ending

• a reinforcement of their own beliefs about life—forexample, that good always triumphs over evil, that hardwork is always rewarded, or that true love always prevails

Readers in the second category, when they read a work of fiction, often look forsomething that makes them think, causes them to reconsider their own preconceivedideas, and leaves them feeling that they’ve somehow grown because of what they’veread. Again it should be stressed that this sort of reader can still enjoy a good escapestory now and then—but not as steady fare.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewedand digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read,but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.

—Sir Francis Bacon



Writing Folder Suggestion 2G

In your Writing Folder, assess yourself as a reader. Use the following questionsas guides:

• What sort of reader are you?

• How would you characterize yourself according to the precedingdescriptions?

• What sorts of fiction do you like to read most? Elaborate.

• What sorts do you dislike? Explain why.

The type of reading you like most is ultimately a matter of personal taste, butfactors like your experience and maturity as a reader also come into play. Just asyoung children first drink milk, then eat purées and sauces, and finally move onto food with more substance to it, so can readers develop in their reading tastes. Ifyou’re someone who hasn’t yet developed a taste for good interpretive literature,perhaps this course will help you along.

What Kind of Viewer Are You?

Just as there are at least two different types of readers, so too are there differentkinds of viewers. To determine the kind of viewer that you are, do the following.



4.4.4.4.4. Make a list of the last ten movies you’ve seen. These can include films you’veseen in the theatre, on television, or on video or DVD.

When you’ve made your list, identify as many attributes or qualities as you canthat these films have in common. This list should give you an idea of what it isyou tend to look for in movies. If you’ve found that your preferences are quitenarrow, you may want to challenge yourself to expand your viewing habits.Make a commitment to watch a film that’s very different from your usual fare—something you ordinarily wouldn’t consider watching. You may be surprised atyour response.

The fact is that most people go to the movies to have a good time; they wantexcitement, comedy, or romance to help them escape reality for a time. And there’snothing wrong with this. But films, like written works of literature, can offer muchmore than entertainment. Interpretive films, like interpretive stories, can presentfascinating insights into life that broaden and deepen viewers’ awareness of thehuman condition.

If you want to take a look at a good interpretive film, the movie reviews innewspapers should help you find a film that purports to do more than entertain; oryou could consider browsing in your local movie-rental outlet. The Internet can alsohelp you select a film. If you live in a larger centre, there may be outlets thatspecialize in “alternative” films that offer more than just entertainment; there mayeven be a theatre that regularly shows such movies.

You may find that if you really give a serious film a chance, you’ll come away with muchmore than you do from watching traditional, largely predictable, escapist movies.

For helpful comments, see the Appendix, Section 2: Lesson 17 on page 142.

GOING FURTHER

Have you ever thought about the fact that different types, or genres, of movieshave different conventions that moviegoers expect and accept? For example, onetype of film is the romantic comedy. Here are some of the conventions ofromantic comedies that viewers expect:

• At first the male and female leads will probably dislike each other, butthey’ll end up with each other just before the movie ends.

• There will be roadblocks on the path of true love.

• True love will win out in the end.



Using Questions for Better Understanding

As you work through this module, you should be building a repertoire of strategiesthat will help you become a better reader (and viewer)—one who can comprehendand appreciate the authors’ purposes, themes, and effects. No one strategy worksbest for everybody. You need to determine what works best for you.

Having many predictable conventions is an earmark of escapefilms. Here are a few other types of film that normally (but notalways) fall under the classification of escapist. With a studypartner, if possible, list some of the conventions that moviegoersexpect from each genre.

• horror • action/adventure• fantasy • murder mystery• science fiction • road film• western



Tyson has offered a very effective reading technique—one from which most studentscould benefit. Educational philosopher Neil Postman once said that “In thedevelopment of intelligence, nothing can be more basic than learning how to askproductive questions.”

What does this mean? What is a “productive question”? And is Postman talkingabout teachers or students asking questions?

In terms of reading, a productive question is a question that, if asked and answered,will enable the reader not only to arrive at the meaning of a work but also to betterappreciate the mastery or craft of the writer. Obviously, it’s the learner or studentwho must learn this most basic of skills.

How do you go about learning how to ask productive questions? The first step is toconsider every block of text (sentence or paragraph) as an answer to a question.Then all you have to do is generate the question that the block of text answers. It’ssort of like Jeopardy!: The answer comes first, and you have to come up with thequestion.

For example, read the first paragraph of Nadine Gordimer’s short story “HappyEvent.” You’ll find the story on page 219 in the Readings section of the Appendix,but, for your convenience, the opening paragraph is reproduced here one sentence ata time.

5.5.5.5.5. Now generate as many questions as you can that you believe this first sentenceanswers or that you feel are questions that need to be asked.

There were so many things in life you couldn’t ever imagine yourself doing, Ella Plaistowtold herself.

6.6.6.6.6. Read the second block of text and repeat the process of asking the questions that,if answered, will get you deeper into the meaning of the story.

Once or twice she had said it aloud, too, to Allan. But mostly it grew, forced its way upout of the silences that fell upon her like a restraining hand during those first few daysafter she had come home from the nursing home.

Before continuing with the next block of text, compare your responsewith the one in the Appendix, Section 2: Lesson 17 on page 143.

Again, before continuing with the next block, compare your responsewith the one in the Appendix, Section 2: Lesson 17 on page 143.



When you compared your own response with thesuggested ideas in the Appendix, did you ask yourselfwhether or not many of the questions you posed aresimilar to those suggested? Is the process becomingeasier? Do you think that your understanding of thestory is better because of this process?

Now read the final block of text in the first paragraph,but don’t pose any questions on it just yet.

It seemed to burst through her mouth in a sudden irresistible germination, the way acreeper shoots and uncurls into leaf and stem in one of those films which telescopeplant growth into the space of a few terrifying vital seconds.

If you read the suggested responses in the Appendix for this story, you should havenoticed that a number of questions were phrased in such a way as to determine theauthor’s intent or intended effect. This is a questioning habit that you should foster.Frequently ask yourself questions such as these:

• Why would the author include this particular detail at this time?

• What does the author emphasize about the character by mentioning thisparticular detail?

• What idea, feeling, or tone does the author suggest by including this particulardetail?

These are the kinds of questions that, if asked and answered, will result in a clearercomprehension of the story’s purpose and a better appreciation of the author’s craft.

7.7.7.7.7. Ask a series of productive questions on the final block of text that follow thethree models you’ve been given.

Compare your response with the one in the Appendix, Section 2: Lesson 17 on page 143.

Now turn to the Readings section in the Appendix, page 219, and read till the end ofthe fourth paragraph of Gordimer’s “Happy Event.” Then respond to the questionsthat follow.

8.8.8.8.8. The opening sentence of this story is “There were so many things in life youcouldn’t ever imagine yourself doing, Ella Plaistow told herself.” Readers arenever really told what it is that Ella has done that she couldn’t previously haveimagined; but by the end of the fourth paragraph, they’ve been given enoughinformation to determine this.

a.a.a.a.a. What is it that Ella has done?bbbbb..... How do you know she’s done it?



9.9.9.9.9. Ella Plaistow, in considering what she’s done, thinks (in the second paragraph)“You start off as a child, pretending to think the blonde doll prettier than thebrunette, so that your loved sister may fall into the trap of choosing the one youdon’t want for yourself.” What does this thought imply about Ella’s view ofhuman nature?

111110.0.0.0.0. What inference can you make about the sort of people Ella and her husband arefrom these four paragraphs? What do they value or consider important? Defendyour ideas by referring directly to the text.

Now complete the reading of “Happy Event” before answering the followingquestion.

111111.1.1.1.1. Did you think that the time and energy you spent on the first paragraph helpedyou with understanding the rest of the story? Explain your response.


Asking questions is a very effective strategy for coming closer to the meaning of atext. You may be concerned that this will involve too much time and effort, but restassured that this isn’t the case. Your brain is an amazing organ; it can performcomplex functions extremely quickly—if you train it and expect it to do so. If youdevelop the habit of asking questions as you read a passage, you’ll find that theprocess will soon become automatic and that you’ll actually be spending very littletime focused on the process itself. But for now, do it consciously and purposefully toensure that the habit takes root.

In this lesson, you looked at two different kindsof literature and two different kinds of reader.You then practised a reading strategy thatinvolved asking productive questions. Lesson 18will begin your study of short stories in greaterdepth, focusing on narration or point of view.

Now turn to Assignment Booklet 2A and completethe assignment questions for this section.


ELA 30-1 Mod 2 the Narrative Voice Lesson 17

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