Litr 117 – Contemporary, Popular, and Emergent • Intended less to provoke deep reflection or

Literature aesthetic appreciation than to be read casually

and quickly
Lesson 1: Introduction to Contemporary, Popular, and
• Reliant on the processes of mass production,
Emergent Literature
marketing, and distribution that take place
CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE within publishing and related industries

- refers to the works of prose, poetry, and EMERGENT LITERATURE

drama published since 1945 (precisely refers
to postmodernism and what has come - “coming into view or existence”
afterward) - texts that are gaining momentum in the global
- reflects social and political viewpoints literary landscape
- new genres of scholarly discourse, such as
Postmodernism online collaboration, academic blogs, website,
e-prints
- is a deepening and extension of the previous
- deals with current themes and issues
literary movement, Modernism
- breaks the traditional way of writing
- represented by such writers as Virginia Wolf
- uses unconventional techniques (pictures or
and Ernest Hemingway
images, comic book format)
- both modernists and postmodernists criticized
- is an integration of a traditional and
romantic era notions
technological-driven form of literature
Why is contemporary literature important? - from Postmodern to Modern/Contemporary
Literature (1940s up to present)
❖ It reflects the present values and beliefs of
society (which are always changing, sometimes
confusing, and important to understand) ✓ Current or Modern
✓ Began in 1940s
Characteristics of Contemporary Literature ✓ Traditional narratives of
Contemporary reality
Below are a few characteristics that readers might Literature ✓ Questioning corrupts
recognize within contemporary literature. ✓ Social or Political Issues
✓ Reflects the present values
• Reflects the current political, social, and
and beliefs of society
broader personal issues of the time.
• Very realistic characters.
• Writing styles that are easy to read. ✓ Highly admired or most
• The desire to experiment with new genres. Popular Literature famous books
✓ Like by most of the people
POPULAR LITERATURE

- any written work that is read, or is intended to

✓ Developing, coming into
be read by a mass audience view
- may include best-selling nonfiction books, Emergent ✓ Emerging as time passes
widely circulated periodicals, and certain Literature with the integration of
kinds of digital texts technological-driven forms
- Since the late 20th century, works of popular of literature.
fiction have often been classified as genre
fiction and their purported opposite as literary
fiction.
THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant
Characteristics of Popular Literature
The characters reflect the themes of social class,
Below are a few characteristics that readers might pride, and the dangers of materialism in the story.
recognize within popular literature.
Mathilde Loisel
• Crafted primarily to entertain readers
• To promote a pleasurable reading experience, Personality: Vain, materialistic, and deeply dissatisfied
works of popular fiction are usually written in a with her modest lifestyle. She longs for wealth, luxury,
straightforward style and social status.
• Largely plot-driven, rather than character- Appearance: Described as pretty and charming but
driven, and adhere to conventional narrative feels out of place in her middle-class life.
structures
Key Trait: Her pride and desire to appear wealthy
ultimately lead to her downfall.
Monsieur Loisel Analyzing and Interpreting Fiction: Perspectives

Personality: Kind, patient, and devoted to his wife. He - The discussion of nonfiction texts focused on
is a modest clerk at the Ministry of Public Instruction. analyzing content, language, and structure
choices.
Actions: Sacrifices his savings and works tirelessly to
repay the debt for the lost necklace. Commercial Fiction
Key Trait: Loyal and selfless, willing to endure hardship - Intended solely to entertain. (Legal thrillers,
for his wife's happiness. romance novels, Escapist, Formulaic)
Literary Fiction
Madame Forestier - Written with serious artistic intentions by
someone who hopes to enable readers to
Personality: Wealthy, generous, and somewhat aloof.
broaden their understanding of life and
Actions: Lends Mathilde a diamond necklace, which empathize with others.
turns out to be fake. - Literary writers are more like explorers who
take us out into the midst of life, show us the
Key Trait: Unintentionally becomes the cause of props and mirrors, and seek to dispel the
Mathilde's years of hardship due to her valuable- illusions.
looking yet inexpensive necklace. - Provides a keener awareness of our humanity
in a friendly and hostile world. Usually need to
Lesson 2: Interpreting and Evaluating Fiction read twice.
FICTION Plot: the sequence of events through which an author
constructs a story.
- is a type of literature, or a false statement not
based on real facts. Structure: usually chronological or cause/effect,
- is subjective and evocative. however, a complex structure is often required to
- is "made up," and indirect in its convey complex meanings, so it may be more
communication. experimental and unpredictable
A work of fiction may evoke:
Lesson 3: Types and Elements of Fiction
➢ the thrill of imagining impossible or
ELEMENTS OF FICTION
unavailable experiences
➢ intrigued with playing out "what if" or" if only" 1. CONFLICT - a clash of actions, ideas, desires, will.
scenarios
➢ feelings and perceptions of another historical a. Man vs. Himself
period, or simply observations on the human b. Man vs. Man
condition c. Man vs. External Force (physical nature,
society, or “fate”)
Fiction is Subjective d. Man vs. Nature (environment)
- A novel, story, drama, or poem expresses an Protagonist: central character in a conflict,
author's imagination. The characters and sympathetic or unsympathetic
situations are "made up."
- Readers expect fiction to reflect the real Antagonist: any force against the protagonist
world; they do not expect it to portray the real
2. SUSPENSE
world.
• Mystery: an unusual set of circumstances for
Fiction is Evocative: Images and Symbols
which the reader craves an explanation
- Fiction conveys meaning indirectly (other • Dilemma: a position in which he or she must
than, of course, through morals at the ends of choose between two courses of action, both
fables). undesirable
- Fiction evokes ideas and feelings indirectly by
3. ENDING: Is it logical within the story’s terms and
triggering emotional responses and mental
does it afford a full, believable revelation?
pictures.
- Fiction commonly communicates through • Surprise Ending: a sudden, unexpected turn
images and symbols. or twist, and furnishes meaningful illumination,
not just a reversal of expectation
Interpretation: A Personal Understanding • Happy Ending: more common in commercial
fiction.
- The meaning of fictional works is more • Unhappy Ending: more common in literary
personal than that of nonfiction texts. fiction because it more closely mirrors real life
 and forces readers to contemplate the 3. Characters must be plausible or lifelike, not perfectly
complexities of life. virtuous or monsters of evil; nor can they have some
• Indeterminate Ending: no definitive impossible combination of contradictory traits. The
conclusion is reached but needs not to be in character could have existed, so we have the illusion
terms of a resolved conflict. the person is real.

4. ARTISTIC UNITY • Flat Characters: usually have only one or two

predominant traits; they can be summed up in
There must be nothing in the story that is irrelevant. a sentence or two
Nothing that does not advance the central intention of
• Round Characters: complex and many-sided;
the story.
they have the three-dimensional quality of real
• Plot Manipulation: unjustified turn in the plot people
by the situation or the characters. • Stock Characters: type of flat character;
• Deus ex machina: Latin for “god from a stereotyped figures who have recurred so
machine”—the protagonist is rescued at the often in fiction that we recognize them at once:
last moment from some impossible situation by silent sheriff, mad scientist, brilliant detective,
a god descending from heaven. mean stepmother, evil dictator CEO
• Chance: the occurrence of an event that has • Static Character: does not change during the
no apparent cause in previous events or story
predisposition of character. • Dynamic Character: (developing) undergoes
• Coincidence: the chance occurrence of two a distinct change of character, personality, or
events that may have a peculiar outlook. Usually experiences an epiphany
correspondence. which is a moment of spiritual insight into life
or the character’s circumstance. This epiphany
Consider the function of the plot in trying to understand usually defines the moment of the dynamic
the relationship of each incident to the larger meaning character’s change.
of the story.
6. THEME

➢ the controlling idea or central insight (central

and unifying concept of a story)
➢ its underlying message, or ‘big idea’
➢ the critical belief about life is what the author
trying to convey in the writing of a novel, play,
short story, or poem
➢ belief, or idea, transcends cultural barriers, it is
usually universal in nature
➢ there is not one way of stating the theme of a
story

7. Point Of View (POV): Who tells the story and how

5. CHARACTERIZATION much do they know about the thoughts of the
characters?
• Direct Presentation: readers are told straight
out what the characters are like, or they have • Omniscient: the story is told in first person by
another character in the story described them. a narrator whose knowledge and prerogatives
Little emotional impact. Example: Old man are unlimited
Humphrey never liked children, even when he • Third Person Limited: from the viewpoint of
himself was a child. one character in the story; No knowledge of
• Indirect Presentation: the author shows us what other characters are thinking or feeling.
the characters through their actions; we • First Person: The author disappears into one
determine what they are like by what they say of the characters, who tells the story in the first
or do. In good fiction, characters are person. This may be either a minor or major
dramatized. character, the protagonist tells the story or
Example: “John snapped at the man without someone else tells it. Shares the limitations of
warning.” the third-person limited point of view.
Principles of Characterization • Objective Point of View: (dramatic POV)
The narrator disappears into a kind of roving
1. Characters are consistent in their behavior unless sound camera. This camera can go anywhere
there is a clear reason for the change. but can record only what is seen and heard. It
cannot comment, interpret, or enter a
2. The character’s words and actions spring from character's mind.
motivations the reader can understand and believe.
8. SYMBOL: Something that means more than what it ➢ Mystery is a popular genre, boasting a huge
suggests on the surface. It may be an object person, established audience. All mysteries focus on a
situation, action, or other elements. crime, usually murder. The action tends to
center on the attempts of a wily detective-type
• Name Symbolism: Adam to solve the crime.
• Object Symbolism: ring, red, heart ➢ Romance is a huge category aimed at
• Action Symbolism: the journey diverting and entertaining women. In romance
• Setting Symbolism: dark forest novels, you have elements of fantasy, love, naï
vete , extravagance, adventure, and always
Clues for identifying symbols: The story itself must
the heroic lover overcoming impossible odds
furnish a clue that a detail is to be taken symbolically
to be with his true love.
usually by emphasis, repetition, or position. The
➢ Women’s fiction - From a writer’s
meaning of the literary symbol must be established
perspective, some key characteristics of these
and supported by the entire context of the story.
books include a focus on relationships, one or
A symbol may have more than one meaning—a cluster more strong female protagonists, women
of meanings. triumphing over unbearable circumstances,
and the experiences of women unified in some
a. Allegory: a story that has a second meaning way.
beneath the surface adding significance ➢ Science Fiction(sci-fi) is a genre of
b. Fantasy: a nonrealistic story that transcends speculative fiction, which typically deals with
the bounds of known reality imaginative and futuristic concepts such as
c. Humor appears in many serious works, advanced science and technology, space
usually conveyed through irony exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and
d. Irony: a technique used to convey a truth extraterrestrial life.
about human experience by exposing some ➢ Suspense/Thrillers are tense, exciting, often
incongruity of a character’s behavior or a sensational works with ingenious plotting, swift
society’s traditions. Irony helps to critique the action, and continuous suspense. Suspense is
world in which we live by laughing at the many about building tension and what may happen,
varieties of human eccentricity and folly. while a thriller is more push and pull between
➢ Verbal Irony: simplest kind, sarcasm, the hero and the villain with an established
wordplay conflict.
➢ Dramatic Irony: the contrast between ➢ Western - these novels about life on America’s
what a character says or thinks and post-Civil War western frontier usually involve
what the reader knows to be true conflicts between cowboys and outlaws,
➢ Situational Irony: the discrepancy cowboys and Native Americans, or Easterners
between appearance and reality, and Westerners.
expectation and fulfillment, or what is ➢ Horror is a genre of literature, film, and
and what would seem appropriate television that is meant to scare, startle, shock,
➢ Sentimentality: contrived or and even repulse audiences. The key focus of
excessive emotion a horror novel is to elicit a sense of dread in
the reader through frightening images, themes,
e. Style – The author’s type of diction (choice of
and situations
words), syntax (arrangement of words), and other
➢ Young Adult - This genre includes any type of
linguistic features of a work.
novel with a protagonist in the 12 to 16 age
f. Theme(s) – The central and dominating idea (or range that speaks to the concerns of
ideas) in a literary work. The term also indicates a teenagers and includes most of the themes
message or moral implicit in any work of art. found in adult fiction, such as friendship,
substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality.
Exploring the Different Types of Fiction Stories that focus on the challenges of youth
may be further categorized as social or
Fiction is a general term used to describe an coming-of-age novels.
imaginative work of prose, either a novel, short story,
or novella. The two main types of fiction are literary
and commercial.
Lesson 4: Contemporary Literature: Poetry
➢ Commercial fiction attracts a broad audience
1950- PRESENT
and may also fall into any subgenre, like
mystery, romance, legal thriller, western, - “This literary era defines a period, but it also
science fiction, and so on. describes a particular style and quality of
➢ Literary fiction tends to appeal to a smaller, writing.”
more intellectually adventurous audience.
What is Contemporary Literature? of fiction stories and genres, including but not all
limited to:
- The literature of the contemporary period not
only refers to a quality/style of writing but also 1. Fairytales – belong to the folklore genre that
to poetry and prose, which includes works of typically features magic, enchantment, and
fiction such as novels, novellas, essays, and mythical or fanciful beings
dramatic works. 2. Folklore – the body of expressive culture
shared by a particular group of people which
Characteristics of the Contemporary Style includes oral traditions such as tales, myths,
1. Reality-based stories legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and others
2. Believable storyline, sometimes portraying a 3. Mythology - tell the stories of ancestors and
hasher reality or degradation of society the origin of humans and the world, the gods,
3. Current, modern setting supernatural beings (satyrs, nymphs,
4. Well-defined, realistic, highly developed, and mermaids) and heroes
strong character(s) 4. Legends – is a genre of folklore that consists
5. Well-structured of a narrative featuring human actions,
6. Writing is more character-driven than plot- believed or perceived to have taken place in
driven human history
5. Epics – long narrative poem recounting heroic
I. STORY deeds
6. Dramas – the specific mode of fiction
A story or narrative is a connected series of events told
represented in performance: a play, opera,
through words (written or spoken), imagery (still and
mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on
moving), body language, performance, music, or any
radio or television
other form of communication.
7. Adventure Stories – are a genre that involves
You can tell a story about anything, and the events protagonists going on epic journeys most often
described can be real or imaginary; covering both geographical
fiction and nonfiction; and leaving no topic, genre, or 8. Historical Fiction - a literary genre in which a
style untouched. fictional plot takes place in the setting of
particular real historical events
There are stories about all things and all times; past, 9. Fantasy – imaginative fiction dependent for
present, and future. effect on the strangeness of setting (such as
other worlds or times) and characters (such as
Stories are of great value to human culture and are
supernatural or unnatural beings)
some of the oldest, most important parts of life.
10. Science-fiction - a genre of speculative fiction
Aside from being a part of every single type of that typically deals with imaginative and
literature, stories are the foundation of creativity and futuristic concepts such as advanced science
part of just about everything we do, particularly when it and technology
comes to entertainment, recording, and reporting of 11. Love Stories - refers to any story that focuses
any form. on the theme of love or relationships, happy or
not
In one form or another, stories have been a part of 12. Horror Stories – is a genre that includes the
human culture and society for thousands of years – reader's pleasure of fear survived (sometimes
likely since man has existed. They’re found in the past only by the reader)
and present of people from every culture, religion, and 13. Ghost Stories – can be horror, but it does not
ethnicity; in every region and language. So, all of that need to be (ghosts can be spirit guides)
considered the concept of a story is actually a bit 14. Bedtime Stories – a story read or recounted
difficult to fully cover or describe. to someone (such as a child) at bedtime
TYPES OF STORIES B. NONFICTION STORIES
The range of types of stories is pretty much endless. Nonfiction stories can cover any kind of real-life event
For that reason, this lesson will divide stories into two or experience. But they often fall into these kinds of
broad categories—fiction and nonfiction. Within categories:
each, there are a huge number or possibilities in terms
of subject matter, genre, type of delivery (oral, written, 1. Historical Events
performance), narrative style, and so on. 2. News and Current Events
3. Biographies (a life story of an individual written
A. FICTION STORIES by someone else) and Autobiographies
(written by the author)
Fiction stories are based on made-up or imaginary
4. Memoir (a collection of memories and
events. There are dozens upon dozens of types
Experiences written by a person)
5. Cultural History
 6. Crime and Justice 8. Free Verse – a poem that does not ollowfollow
7. Science a predictable form or rhyme scheme or metric
8. Love pattern. Example: “Mother to Son” by Langston
9. Family Hughes.
10. Travel Stories 9. List or Catalog Poem – a poem in the form of
11. Survivor Stories a list, that uses sensory details and precise
12. War Stories language to persuade the reader to take notice
of what is being listed.
II. POETRY Example: “Things To Do I You Are a Subway”
Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of by Robbi Katz.
words and rhythm. It often employs rhyme and meter 10. Villanelle – a challenging poetic form that
(a set of rules governing the number and arrangement includes five tercets (aba rhyme) followed by a
of syllables in each line). quatrain (abaa rhyme) and a pattern of
repetition of lines 1 and 3 of the first stanza.
In poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, Example: “Is There a Villain in Your Villanelle?”
images, and ideas that might be too complex or by Joan Bransfeld Graham.
abstract to describe directly. 11. Ode – a poem that celebrates or praises
something.
The opposite of poetry is “prose” – that is, normal text
Example: “Ode to Pablo’s Tennis Shoes” by
that runs without line breaks or rhythm.
Gary Soto.
Poetry is probably the oldest form of literature and 12. Lyric Poetry – poetry that expresses a poet’s
probably predates its origin in writing itself. The oldest personal experience, feelings, and emotions.
written manuscripts we have are poems, mostly epic Example: “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by
poems telling the stories of ancient mythology. William Wordsworth.
13. Blank Verse – a poem written in iambic
Poetry can be written with all the same purposes as pentameter, but with no rhyme.
any other kind of literature – beauty, humor, Example: Verses in Romeo and Juliet by
storytelling, political messages, etc. William Shakespeare.
14. Blues Poem – poems that – like blues songs
TWENTY POETIC FORMS
– deal with personal or world issues.
1. Acrostic – a poem in which the first letter of Example: “Evening Air Blues” by Langston
each word forms a word – usually a name – if Hughes.
read downward. 15. Nonsense Poem – a fun, usually rhyming
Example: “A Rock Acrostic” by Avis Harley. poem that makes no sense, focusing instead
2. Couplet – two lines of poetry that rhyme and on the sounds and the rhythm of the poem.
usually form one complete idea. Example: “The Jumblies” by Edward Lear.
Example: The poem “Catch a Little Rhyme” by 16. Concrete Poem – a poem that uses words to
Eve Merriam is written in couplets. form the shape of the subject of the poem
3. Haiku – a Japanese three-line poetic form – (also known as a “shape poem”).
usually about nature – with lines of five, seven, Example: “Concrete Cat” by Dorth Charles.
and five syllables, respectively. Example: I call 17. Narrative Poem – a poem that tells a story.
to my love, on mornings ripe with sunlight. The Example: “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss
songbirds answer. (Theodor Geisel).
4. Quatrain – a stanza made up of four lines, 18. Ballad – a poem that tells a story, usually
often containing a rhyme scheme. written in four-line stanzas.
Example: “The Toaster” by William Jay Smith. Example: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by
5. Cinquain – a five-line untitled poem, where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
the syllable pattern increases by two or for 19. Epic Poem – a long and heroic narrative
each line, except for the last line, which ends poem. Example: “The Odyssey” by Homer.
in two syllables (2,4,6,8.2). 20. Imagist Poetry – poems that contain precise
Example: The cinquain that begins with “Oh, visual images. Example: “The Red
cat” by Paul B. Janeczko. Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams
6. Limerick – a humorous rhyming poem written
III. DRAMA
in five lines and having a meter. It often begins
with “There once was a…” Drama is a mode of fictional representation through
Example: Limericks by Edward Lear. dialogue and performance. It is one of the literary
7. Sonnet – a poem that is 14 lines long, genres, which is an imitation of some action.
generally written in iambic pentameter.
Example: “Sonnet 116” by William Drama is also a type of play written for theater,
Shakespeare. television, radio, and film. Simply put, a drama is a
composition in verse or prose presenting a story in
pantomime or dialogue. It contains conflict of
characters, particularly the ones who perform in front How is contemporary literature different from
of an audience on the stage. popular and emergent literature?

The person who writes drama for stage directions is Contemporary literature reflects the current era's
known as a “dramatist” or “playwright.” themes, concerns, and styles and often engages with
the social, political, cultural, and technological issues
TYPES OF DRAMA of the time. It encompasses a wide range of genres,
Let us consider a few popular types of drama: including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, essays,
and more. Some key characteristics of contemporary
1. Comedy - lighter in tone than ordinary works literature may include:
and provide a happy conclusion. The intention
of dramatists in comedies is to make their 1. Diversity: Contemporary literature is
audience laugh. Hence, they use quaint characterized by a diverse range of voices,
circumstances, unusual characters, and witty perspectives, and backgrounds. Authors from
remarks. various cultural, ethnic, and social
2. Tragedy - use darker themes like disaster, backgrounds contribute to the literary
pain, and death. Protagonists often have a landscape, offering a wide array of viewpoints
tragic flaw — a characteristic that leads them and experiences.
to their downfall. 2. Exploration of Current Issues:
3. Farce - a nonsensical genre of drama, which Contemporary literature often addresses
often overacts or engages slapstick humor. pressing issues such as globalization, identity,
4. Melodrama - an exaggerated drama, which is climate change, technology, social justice, and
sensational and appeals directly to the senses human rights. It reflects the concerns and
of the audience. Like the farce, the characters challenges of the present moment.
are of a single dimension and simple or may 3. Experimentation with Form and Style:
be stereotyped. Contemporary writers may experiment with
5. Musical Drama - dramatists not only tell their narrative structures, language, and storytelling
stories through acting and dialogue, but techniques. They may challenge traditional
through dance as well as music. Often the literary conventions to create new and
story may be comedic, though it may also innovative forms of expression.
involve serious subjects. 4. Multimodality: In the digital age,
contemporary literature may incorporate
Drama is one of the best literary forms through which multimedia elements, such as hyperlinks,
dramatists can directly speak to their readers, or the images, videos, and interactive features, in
audience, and they can receive instant feedback from both print and digital formats.
audiences. A few dramatists use their characters as a 5. Global Reach: Contemporary literature is
vehicle to convey their thoughts and values, as poets influenced by global events and trends, and it
do with personas, and novelists do with narrators. frequently explores themes of
Since drama uses spoken words and dialogues, the interconnectedness and intercultural
language of characters plays a vital role, as it may give communication.
clues to their feelings, personalities, backgrounds, and 6. Fluid Genre Boundaries: Many contemporary
changes in feelings. In dramas, the characters live out writers blend genres and refuse to be confined
a story without any comments from the author, by traditional categories, resulting in hybrid
providing the audience with a direct presentation of the forms of literature.
characters’ life experiences. 7. Accessibility: Advances in technology and
publishing have made it easier for writers to
reach a global audience through self-
Lesson 5: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary publishing, online platforms, and e-books.
Literature Contemporary literature is dynamic and ever
evolving, reflecting the ever-changing nature of
What is contemporary literature? our world. As time passes, works once
considered contemporary become part of the
Contemporary literature refers to the body of written or
broader literary canon, and new voices
literary works produced and published in the present
continue to emerge, shaping the literary
day or in the recent past. While there is no strict time
landscape of the future.
frame that defines "contemporary" literature, it
generally encompasses works written from the mid- Contemporary literature, like any other field, faces
20th century to the present day. However, the exact various issues and challenges that shape its
timeframe can vary depending on context and development and impact. These challenges can be
perspective. both internal and external, and they influence the
creation, distribution, and reception of literary works.
Here are some of the key issues and challenges in
contemporary literature.
1. Diversity and Representation: One of the 11. Online Communities and Influence: Online
central challenges in contemporary literature is platforms, including social media and book
ensuring diverse voices and perspectives are review websites, play a significant role in
heard. There is a growing demand for greater shaping literary conversations. The challenge
representation of marginalized (insignificant) lies in distinguishing genuine criticism from
groups, including people of color, LGBTQ+ influencer-driven trends.
individuals, and those from different socio- 12. Sustainability: Concerns about the
economic backgrounds. environmental impact of publishing, including
2. Access and Distribution: While digital paper production and book distribution, have
platforms have expanded access to literature, led to discussions about sustainable practices
they have also raised concerns about in the publishing industry.
equitable (fair and impartial) access, the role of 13. Financial Sustainability for Writers: Many
publishing gatekeepers, and the impact on writers struggle to make a living solely from
physical bookstores and libraries. their writing, which can lead to a lack of
3. Commercialization and Market Pressures: diversity in the voices that are heard in
The commercialization of literature can literature.
sometimes prioritize marketability over artistic
merit (the artistic quality or value of any given Despite these challenges, contemporary literature
work). Authors may feel pressure to conform to continues to evolve and adapt. Writers, readers,
market trends, which can stifle creativity and publishers, and literary organizations are actively
experimentation. addressing these issues to create a more inclusive,
4. Censorship and Freedom of Expression: In dynamic, and responsive literary landscape. These
some regions, literature faces censorship and challenges also provide opportunities for innovation
restrictions on freedom of expression, making and growth in the world of literature.
it challenging for writers to tackle controversial
or sensitive topics.
5. Literary Awards and Recognition: The ============GROUP REPORTING============
literary world is often criticized for its awards
Issues and Challenges of Contemporary Literature
processes, which some argue can be biased
or exclusive. This has led to discussions about 1. Literature is language-based and national;
the need for more transparent and inclusive contemporary society is globalizing and
recognition of literary achievements. polyglot.
6. Reader Engagement: In an era of shortened 2. Vernacular means of everyday communication
attention spans and digital distractions, (cellphones, social networks, streaming video)
contemporary literature faces the challenge of are moving into areas where printed text
engaging and retaining readers. Writers must cannot follow.
adapt to evolving reading habits and 3. Intellectual property systems failing.
preferences. 4. Means of book promotion, distribution and
7. Climate Crisis: As climate change becomes a retail destabilized.
pressing global issue, literature faces the 5. Ink-on-paper manufacturing is an outmoded,
challenge of effectively addressing toxic industry with steeply rising costs.
environmental concerns and inspiring action 6. Core demographic for printed media is aging
without falling into clichés or despair. faster than the general population. Failure of
8. Ethical Dilemmas: The use of sensitive or print and newspapers is disenfranchising
controversial subjects in literature, such as young apprentice writers.
cultural appropriation or the depiction of 7. Media conglomerates have a poor business
violence, raises ethical questions about the model; economically rationalized "culture
responsibility of writers and the potential harm industry" is actively hostile to vital aspects of
their work may cause. humane culture. Large media corporations,
9. Technology and Changing Formats: The driven by profit maximization, often prioritize
rise of e-books, audiobooks, and interactive commercial success over artistic merit or
digital narratives presents opportunities for cultural value.
innovation but also challenges traditional 8. Long tail balkanizes audiences, disrupts
publishing models and the way stories are means of canon-building, and fragments
consumed. literary reputation.
10. Translation and Global Exchange: 9. Digital public domain transforms traditional
Translating literature between languages and literary heritage into a huge, cost free,
cultures is crucial for fostering global portable, searchable database, radically
understanding and appreciation. However, it transforming the reader's relationship to
can be challenging to capture the nuances and belles-lettres.
cultural context of a work accurately.
 10. Contemporary literature not confronting issues expanded the reading public. Fiction, especially
of general urgency: dominant best-sellers are novels, gained popularity, with books sold in
in former niche genres such as fantasies, markets and circulating libraries. Serialized
romances and teen books. stories in newspapers and magazines became
11. Barriers to publication entry have crashed, common, and working-class readers enjoyed
enabling huge torrent of subliterary and/or crime and adventure stories like penny
nonliterary textual expression. The digital age dreadfuls in Britain and dime novels in the U.S.
has drastically lowered the barriers to entry for ❖ By the 20th century, genres such as mystery,
publication. romance, and science fiction were well
12. Algorithms and social media replacing work of established. Paperback books became widely
editors and publishing houses; network available, and popular fiction was often adapted
socially-generated texts replacing individually- into films and TV shows. Meanwhile, literary
authored texts. fiction distanced itself from mass entertainment,
13. "Convergence culture" obliterating former with universities focusing on "high literature."
distinctions between media; books becoming ❖ In the 21st century, digital publishing and e-
one minor aspect of huge tweet/ blog/ comics/ books made it easier for authors to share their
games / soundtrack/ television / cinema / work. Fan fiction gained popularity, and genre
ancillary-merchandise pro-fan franchises. fiction remained a dominant force. Despite the
14. Unstable computer and cellphone interfaces divide between popular and literary fiction,
becoming world's primary means of cultural many modern writers blend the two, keeping
access. Compositor systems remake media in storytelling fresh and influential.
their own hybrid creole image.
15. Scholars steeped within the disciplines
becoming cross-linked jack-of-all trades virtual I. POPULAR LITERATURE
intelligentsia. ✓ Popular is words means from the Latin word
16. Academic education system suffering severe populāris “pertaining to all or most of the
bubble-inflation. The academic education people, belonging to or used by the common
system is facing "bubble-inflation," meaning people”.
the value of academic degrees is inflated. ✓ Literature is defined as books and other written
17. Polarizing civil cold war is harmful to works, especially those considered to have
intellectual honesty Society is increasingly creative or artistic merit or lasting value. It the
polarized, which extends to academia. term derives from Latin literature/litteratura
18. The Gothic fate of poor slain Poetry is the that means "writing formed with letters," from
specter at this dwindling feast. litera/littera "letter".
o This metaphor suggests that poetry, ✓ Popular literature, any written work that is
once a celebrated form of literature, is read, or is intended to be read, by a mass
now neglected and in decline ("slain audience. In its broadest sense, popular
Poetry"). The "Gothic fate" implies a literature may include best-selling nonfiction
dramatic and sorrowful end. The books, widely circulated periodicals, and
"specter at this dwindling feast" certain kinds of digital texts.
signifies that the absence and demise ✓ primarily designed to entertain
of poetry haunt the literary world, ✓ Does not challenge the mindset of the
which is now losing its richness and common reader and easily understood and
depth. relatable.
✓ The formal, publishing category of "Popular
Introduction to Popular Literature (Nature, Appeal, Fiction" begins in the 19th century up to 20th
and Social Function) century - a time when wider literacy and
cheaper printing make books available to
A Brief History of Popular Literature middle-and-lower-class readers. Popular
literature today is produced either to be read
❖ The rise of popular literature became possible by a literate audience or to be enacted on
after the invention of the printing press, allowing television or in the cinema; it is produced by
books to reach wider audiences. Early printed writers who are members, however lowly, of an
works in 15th-century Europe included folk elite corps of professional literates.
tales, ballads, and almanacs, but low literacy
rates limited their reach. By the late 17th
century, increasing literacy in England and
France led to the spread of chapbooks, which
were cheaply made and sold by traveling
peddlers.
❖ In the 18th and 19th centuries, improved
education and the Industrial Revolution
 3. Evoke Strong Emotions
- Whether through romance, thrill, or suspense,
popular literature captures human emotions in
an engaging way.
○ Example: Gone Girl uses psychological
tension to keep readers invested.
4. Follow Trends and Societal Interests
- Popular literature adapts to what readers find
engaging at a given time.
○ Example: The rise of dystopian fiction (e.g.,
The Hunger Games) reflects concerns about
government control and social inequality.

To illustrate how popular literature functions, let’s

analyze Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Themes:

• Friendship and loyalty

• Good vs. evil
• The power of love

Why It Became Popular:

• Relatable Characters – Harry, Ron, and

Hermione represent different aspects of
adolescence.
• Engaging World-Building – The magical
world draws readers in.
• Universal Themes – Readers connect with
struggles of belonging and identity.
II. The Nature of Popular Literature
Social Impact:
Popular literature is defined by three core aspects:
• Inspired a generation of readers.
1. Mass Appeal – It attracts a large audience
across different age groups and backgrounds. • Led to a massive franchise (movies,
2. Commercial Success – Many popular works merchandise, theme parks).
are driven by market trends and consumer • Created a global fan community.
preferences.
3. Narrative-Driven – It prioritizes engaging IV. The Social Function of Popular Literature
stories, compelling characters, and relatable Popular literature does more than just entertain—it
themes. plays a crucial role in shaping and reflecting society.
Popular literature is dynamic and evolves with time, 1) Reflecting Social Issues and Cultural
reflecting the concerns and interests of society in Values
different historical periods. - Popular literature mirrors societal norms,
III. The Appeal of Popular Literature values, and struggles.
- Example: The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret
The success of popular literature can be attributed to Atwood) critiques gender oppression and
its ability to: government control.
2) Encouraging Literacy and Critical Thinking
1. Provide Entertainment and Escapism
- Accessible stories help young readers
- Many readers turn to popular literature as a
develop a love for reading.
form of relaxation and escape from daily life.
- Example: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
○ Example: Harry Potter allows readers to
introduces young readers to mythology in an
immerse themselves in a magical world,
engaging way.
offering a break from reality.
3) Influencing Media, Pop Culture, and
2. Create Relatable Characters and Stories
Consumerism
- Popular literature often features characters
- Many popular books inspire movies, TV
with whom readers can easily connect.
shows, merchandise, and fan communities.
○ Example: The Fault in Our Stars resonates
- Example: Game of Thrones (based on A
with young adults because of its themes of
Song of Ice and Fire) became a global media
love, loss, and self-discovery.
franchise.
 4) Fostering a Sense of Community and I. ROMANCE
Identity
- Popular literature creates fan bases that WHAT IS A ROMANCE?
connect people with shared interests. - In the strictest academic terms, a romance is
- Example: Harry Potter fans engage in a narrative genre in literature that involves a
conventions, online discussions, and themed mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line
events. where the focus is on a quest that involves
bravery and strong values, not always a love
V. Major Themes of Popular Literature interest.
- However, modern definitions of romance also
Love is a powerful and universal theme that include stories that have a relationship issue
manifests in many forms: romance, familial love, as the main focus.
friendship, and even love for oneself.
Coming of age is centered around the themes of Romance in the Academic Sense:
youth, growing up, and maturation with a strong
A romance is a story in which the main character is a
focus on a central character arc.
hero who must conquer various challenges as part of a
Good versus Evil. - One of the most fundamental
quest. Each challenge could be its own story and can
themes in literature, good vs evil features a clear
be taken out of the overall story without harming the
conflict between forces of good and forces of evil.
plot. These stories tend to be serious rather than
Survival. - This theme is often explored in
humorous and touch on strong values.
literature through characters facing extreme
conditions or challenges that test their will to Example: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
survive.
Identity. - Identity themes explore self-findy, - The story follows Frodo Baggins, who
personal growth, societal roles, and coming of age. embarks on a heroic quest to destroy the One
War. - Within this greater Theme lie stories of Ring and save Middle earth. Along the way,
death, hopelessness, loss, and courage. he faces challenges that could each stand as
Betrayal - which often explores the violation of their own story, such as:
trust between characters, particularly when it ➢ Crossing the Mines of Moria and battling the
occurs between those who are close, like family, Balrog.
friends, or lovers, leading to complex emotions like ➢ Surviving the treacherous journey through the
anger, grief, and a desire for revenge; this theme is Dead Marshes.
frequently used to examine the consequences of ➢ Resisting the power of the ring while being
breaking loyalty and the impact on personal pursued by Sauron’s forces.
relationships.
Modern Romance:
Loss. - Characters deals with the loss of love
ones, opportunities or their old way of life, showing The story of a character who keeps meeting the wrong
how to cope and move forward. type of people in his or her relationships or has run into
a problem with a current love relationship. The story
would focus on the struggles the character faces while
Popular Literature Genres finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. The whole focus would be the
relationship, although the character may also be
Popular literature is consists of various genres that dealing with other struggles, such as losing a job,
cater to diverse interests and tastes of readers. As handling difficult parents, etc. These stories may be
American literary theorist Fredric Jameson observed, funny, sad, tragic, serious, or a mix. The obvious
“Genres are essentially contracts between a writer and resolution to the conflict would be finding the right
his readers”; that is, they create and fulfill the reader’s person or saving the present relationship.
expectations. The following are the genres of popular
literature: Example: Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

1. Romance - The story follows Bridget, a single woman in

2. Science Fiction her 30s, navigating romantic relationships
3. Detective Story while dealing with personal insecurities, a
4. Comic Books demanding career, and meddling family.
5. Comic Strip ➢ Bridget initially falls for her charming but toxic
boss, Daniel Cleaver, and struggles to let go
despite realizing he isn’t right for her.
➢ Meanwhile, she slowly develops a relationship
with Mark Darcy, a seemingly aloof but
genuinely kind man.
TYPES OF ROMANCE II. SCIENCE FICTION

a. GOTHIC WHAT IS A SCIENCE FICTION?

In Gothic romance, the settings are usually in distant - often called “sci-fi,” is a genre of fiction
regions and the stories feature dark and compelling literature whose content is imaginative but
characters. They became popular in the late 19th based in science.
century and usually had a sense of transcendence, - It relies heavily on scientific facts, theories,
supernatural, and irrationality. and principles as support for its settings,
characters, themes, and plotlines, which is
Popular Gothic novels still read by many high school what makes it different from fantasy. So,
students today are classics such as: while the storylines and elements of science
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte fiction stories are imaginary, they are usually
possible according to science—or at least
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
plausible.
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Although examples of science fiction can be
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
found as far back as the Middle Ages, its
b. HISTORICAL presence in literature was not particularly
significant until the late 1800s. It’s true
Historical romance takes place in times long past and popularity for both writers and audiences
appears romantic due to the adventure and wildness of came with the rise of technology over the past
the time. This also provides value and meaning to the 150 years, with developments such as
lifestyle of the characters. electricity, space exploration, medical
advances, industrial growth, and so on. As
The following novels fit in this sub-genre:
science and technology progress, so does the
• The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore genre of science fiction.
Cooper
TYPES OF SCIENCE FICTION
• Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott.
Science fiction is usually distinguished as either “hard”
c. CONTEMPORARY
or “soft.”
Contemporary romance focuses on a love relationship
1. Hard science fiction
and has a happy ending.
- strictly follows scientific facts and principles. It
There are two ways these romance novels are written: is strongly focused on natural sciences like
as a series or category romance (the author writes a physics, astronomy, chemistry, astrophysics,
succession of books that fit a theme or follow a etc.
storyline) or as a single-title romance. - often written by real scientists and has been
known for making both accurate and
Even more so, within the sub-genre romance, and as inaccurate predictions of future events.
seen in many movies, there can be: - For example, the recent film Gravity, the story
of an astronaut whose spacecraft is damaged
• comedy-romance
while she repairs a satellite, was renowned for
• tragic romance
its scientific accuracy in terms of what would
• satire-romance actually happen in space.
• serious romance 2. Soft science fiction
Playwrights and poets also treat romance with various tones. - characterized by a focus on social sciences,
like anthropology, sociology, psychology, and
politics— in other words, sciences involving
human behavior.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ROMANCE
- soft sci-fi stories mainly address the possible
Romance is a natural human emotion. Sad love songs scientific consequences of human behavior.
and poems when one is recovering from a broken - For example, the Disney animated film Wall-E
heart can help express unspoken feelings. Happy is an apocalyptic science fiction story about
romantic movies and plays help people feel optimistic the end of life on Earth because of man’s
that someday they will also find true love. However, disregard for nature.
there is some criticism that many modern romantic
In truth, most works use a combination of both hard
stories make people develop unrealistic views about
and soft science fiction. Soft sci-fi allows audiences to
real relationships, as they expect love to be like it is in
connect on an emotional level, and hard sci-fi adds
the movies.
real scientific evidence so that they can imagine the
action happening. So, combining the two is a better
storytelling technique, because it lets audiences
connect with the story on two levels. Science fiction
also has a seemingly endless number of subgenres, “The Purloined Letter” (1845). The detective story soon
including but not limited to time travel, apocalyptic, expanded to novel length.
utopian/dystopian, alternate history, space opera, and
military science fiction. IV. COMIC BOOK

IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE FICTION WHAT IS A COMIC BOOK?

Many times, science fiction turns real scientific theories - A magazine that presents a serialized story in
into full stories about what is possible and/or the form of a comic strip, typically featuring
imaginable. Many stories use hard facts and truths of the adventures of a superhero.
sciences to: - A comic is bound collection of comic strips,
usually in chronological sequence, typically
• suggest what could really happen in the future telling a single story or a series of different
• to explore what could happen if certain events stories.
or circumstances came to be or - Comics provide narrative experiences for
• suggest consequences of technological and students just beginning to read and for
scientific advancements and innovation. students acquiring a new language. Students
follow story beginnings and endings, plot,
Historically it has been a popular form for not only characters, time and setting, sequencing
authors, but scientists as well. In the past 150 years, without needing sophisticated word decoding
science fiction has become a huge genre, with a skills. Images support the text and give
particularly large presence in film and television—in students significant contextual clues to word
fact, the TV network “Sci-Fi” is completely devoted to meaning. Comics act as a scaffold to student
science fiction media. It is a particularly fascinating and understanding.
mind-bending genre for audiences because of its - Comics speak to students in a way they
connection to reality. understand and identify with. Even after
students learn to be strong readers comics
III. DETECTIVE STORY
give students the opportunity to read material
WHAT IS A DETECTIVE STORY? which combines images with text to express
satire, symbolism, point of view, drama, puns
- A type of popular literature in which a crime is and humor in ways not possible with text
introduced and investigated, and the culprit is alone.
revealed. The traditional elements of the - Today, the comic book industry is as diverse
detective story are: and vibrant as ever, with a wide range of
➢ the seemingly perfect crime; genres and formats available to readers.
➢ the wrongly accused suspect at From traditional superhero tales to slice-of life
whom circumstantial evidence points; stories, political commentary, and everything
➢ the bungling of dim-witted police; in between, there's a comic book for every
➢ the greater powers of observation and reader.
superior mind of the detective; and
➢ the startling and unexpected
denouement, in which the detective
reveals how the identity of the culprit
was ascertained.

Detective stories frequently operate on the principle

that superficially convincing evidence is ultimately
irrelevant. Usually, it is also axiomatic that the clues
from which a logical solution to the problem can be
reached be fairly presented to the reader at exactly the
same time that the sleuth receives them and that the
sleuth deduce the solution to the puzzle from a logical
interpretation of these clues.

The first detective story was “The Murders in the Rue Benefits of using Comics in Education:
Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe, published in April 1841.
The profession of detective had come into being only a • A great visual Representation of Knowledge
few decades earlier, and Poe is generally thought to • Presents what is essential
have been influenced by the Mémoires (1828–29) of • Easier to remember a visual graphic
François-Eugène Vidocq, who in 1817 founded the containing key information
world’s first detective bureau, in Paris. Poe’s fictional • Engaging through thinking, creating and
French detective, C. Auguste Dupin, appeared in two writing.
other stories, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” (1845) and • Perfect avenue for writing dialogue
• Incites students with low interest in writing
 • Helps organization through storytelling and Why use Comic Strips in your Teaching:
storyboarding
• Comics are fun, interesting and motivating.
• Using visual images convey meaning to a
story or topic • Comics promote a wide variety of skills:
cognitive, intellectual, social, and cultural.
• Develops creative and higher-level thought
processes • Can be used with students in different school
grades.
• Develops composition techniques through
visual-verbal connections • Can be used to teach different school subjects.
• Enriches reading, writing, and thinking • Can help students develop higher-order
thinking skills (sequencing, predicting,
• Serves as an assessment and evaluation tool
inferring, synthesizing, analyzing,
• Sequencing promotes understanding
evaluating...etc.).
• Enhance students’ engagement with
V. COMIC STRIPS
multimodal texts.
- A sequence of drawings, either in color or • Make students aware of the multimodal means
black and white, relating a comic incident, an through which meanings are constructed and
adventure or mystery story, etc., often communicated.
serialized, typically having dialogue printed in • Ideal teaching tools for teaching a target
balloons, and usually printed as a horizontal language
strip in daily newspapers and in an • Visually illustrated content is much easier to
uninterrupted block or longer sequence of process, understand and remember.
such strips in Sunday newspapers and in • Can be used to teach reading, writing,
comic books. listening, and speaking skills.
- Series of adjacent drawn images, usually
arranged horizontally, that are designed to be
read as a narrative or a chronological
sequence.
- From extraordinary superheroes saving the
day to everyday adventures with a big orange
cat, comic strips can capture the imagination
like no other medium. It’s a popular art form
that not only entertains but also educates
because of how it can show or explain
complex stories and concepts using images
and dialogue.
- Comic strips and cartoons are two effective
instructional tools to use in class with students
from different grades. They are effective
because they engage students in meaningful
learning experiences where they get to
practice key skills such as writing, reading,
speaking and communicating. By definition, a
comic strip is "an open-ended dramatic
narrative about a recurring set of characters
told in a series of drawing.

Example of Comic Strip