Literary Genres Defined: A Spectrum of Narrative Realities

Understanding Narrative Realities in Literature

Narrative genres often blend referential information with emotive and lyrical sentiments, expressed through dramatic dialogue. The narrative world is a universe expressed through words and descriptions, introducing characters, dialogue, and action. This constructed reality can become independent, shaping meaning for the reader.

Types of Narrative Reality

Daily Reality

This genre represents the reality of daily living, depicted with fidelity to an era and a specific community. It offers objective and detailed descriptions of regional and indigenous customs, encompassing rural, urban, marginal, sea, and mining environments. Examples include works by Mariano Latorre, Luis Durand, Marta Brunet, and stories like 'Two Men Next to a Wall.'

Oniric Reality

This genre delves into the inner human experience, exploring angst, existential problems, solitude, and isolation. It seeks to understand the blurred lines between reality and unreality, often featuring an unstable universe, confusing dreams, contradictory and unexpected events, and shifting instincts and intuitions. A notable example is María Luisa Bombal's The Last Fog.

Mythic Storytelling

Mythic storytelling originates from anonymous ancient times, often explaining creation and existence through supernatural means. These narratives are deeply related to religion in their origins, presenting characters and events as remarkable, foundational tales.

Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction conforms to reality, objectively reflecting the characteristic features of a specific time. Writers base their work on direct observation, and the more detailed the description, the greater the credibility achieved. Prominent authors include Honoré de Balzac and Guy de Maupassant.

Fantastic Literature

Fantastic literature transgresses rational order, introducing inexplicable supernatural events that disrupt normal everyday situations. This genre often leaves the reader in a state of doubt and surprise. Key authors include Julio Cortázar (e.g., The Island at Noon), Jorge Luis Borges, and Franz Kafka.

Utopia and Dystopia

Utopia, a concept famously explored by Sir Thomas More, describes an ideal, often unreal, state of society. Conversely, anti-utopia (or dystopia) presents an unattainable, negative societal state, contrasting sharply with the utopian ideal of a happy world. Themes often include societal structures, governance, and even the 'Religions of the Utopians.'

The Wonderful

The Wonderful genre presents a world that transcends the space-time laws governing human beings and nature. For the characters within this world, these extraordinary elements are normal, making it a 'wonderful' (in the sense of full of wonder) reality, not merely fiction.

Magical Realism

Magical Realism immerses humans and their environment in a world where fantasy and mystery blend seamlessly with reality. Characters accept wonder as commonplace, and the laws of cause and effect, miracles, and rational thought often coexist or are transgressed without surprise. An example is Eduardo Galeano's Catavi, Inhabited Stone.

The Legendary World

The Legendary World originates from anonymous oral tradition, sometimes based on historical facts, but imbued with fantastic and wonderful features. The protagonist can be a mysterious character or event. Characters often have origins in epic poems, legends, or hagiographies (the lives of saints). Examples include medieval legends, and in Chile, tales like the Caleuche from Chiloé, or the Wellspring of Panimávida.