This week
has primarily been focused on genre. Normally, I associate genres with the
labels in the library that categorize different books and make it easier to
find materials. I know that genre encompasses more than that though. The
article, “Navigating Genres” explains the functions of genres and how important
understanding different genres can be. The article highlighted how genres can
help writers when they are trying to compose a new piece. The ransom letter
example that Dirk uses was effective at displaying how knowing the components
of a genre are beneficial for creating the desired effects for the textual
piece.
Also, I was
reminded again how important it is to write appropriately according to the
audience. For example, if I am writing a letter to my employer my tone will be
professional because of the relationship I have with him/her. I wouldn’t want
to get fired for bringing up sensitive topics or using a threatening tone. On
the other hand, if I were to be writing a ransom note then a threatening tone
can be more beneficial to receive the desired outcomes. The primary idea that
the article portrays is that writing style shifts according to the situation
and the audience that the writing is for.
The two
genres we analyzed in class were country and horror movies. I have written an
essay for one of my film classes about horror films, so it was really
interesting to see such a wide variety of opinions on what horror movies mean
to them. I don’t listen to a lot of country, but discussing the elements of
country in class brought attention to all the similarities that the genre
shares with other genres. The in class activity that involved breaking down
country songs and country lyrics emphasized how important it is to be observant
about the overlooked qualities such as the use of the slap steel guitar.
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