Realistic Fiction | Definition, Characteristics & Examples
Table of Contents
- What is Realistic Fiction?
- Characteristics of Realistic Fiction
- Realistic Fiction Examples
- Lesson Summary
- FAQs
- Activities
Realistic Fiction Multi-Media Activity
Realistic Fiction Presentation
For this activity, you will create a multi-media presentation about the characteristics of a realistic fiction story of your choice. First, you need to select an example of realistic fiction. This can be a short story, novella, or novel. You can choose something you have already read, or if you want, you can read and analyze something new. You can also select whichever presentation program you want for this activity. For example, you can use PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, or any similar platform. You will need to include the following information in your presentation.
Slide 1: Title Slide—Include your name, the title and author of the literary work, and the date.
Slide 2: Setting—Discuss the setting and explain how the setting is realistic.
Slide 3: Characters—Describe the main characters and the issues that they face.
Slide 4: Plot Overview—Briefly describe the plot of the story.
Slide 5: Conclusion—Summarize your main points. Explain how these characteristics help classify your literary work as realistic fiction.
Note: To enhance the overall appearance of your presentation, add related images. For example, if you are discussing John Green's Looking for Alaska, you might want to include an image of the book's cover. Also, make sure that you have chosen an easy-to-read font to help your presentation look professional. Finally, edit and proofread your slides before turning-in or presenting.
What does realistic fiction mean?
Realistic fiction is a genre of literature that consists of stories and characters that seem like they could happen or exist in real life. While they are not true stories, they read like they could be.
What are the elements of a realistic fiction?
Realistic fiction will contain settings that are either actual places or seem like they could be actual places, characters that seem like they could be people one would know or see in real life, and plot events that contain realistic conflicts that are dealt with in a realistic way.
How do you explain realistic fiction to a child?
One could tell a child to use his or her imagination to think of things that could really happen to them or their friends. Explaining that while these events in their imagination have not really happened, but are believable, is a good way to describe what realistic fiction is like.
What are some examples of realistic fiction?
Realistic fiction is an expansive genre, but some well known examples of novels are:
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Table of Contents
- What is Realistic Fiction?
- Characteristics of Realistic Fiction
- Realistic Fiction Examples
- Lesson Summary
Realistic Fiction is a genre of literature characterized by believable events and characters. Realistic in this sense means that the events and characters contained in the story seem like they could actually happen or exist in real life.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
All fictional stories contain some of the same elements such as setting, plot, characters, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and theme. Other genres, such as fantasy fiction or science fiction, contain other elements like magic or technology that does not yet exist, or historical fiction that is rooted in either true events or the lives of real people. Readers will not find these elements in realistic fiction. In this genre, all parts of the story are believable but do not actually contain true events or real people.
Realistic Setting
The setting of a story refers to both the place and the time period in which a story happens. Realistic fiction stories tend to take place in the present or recent past in places that either do exist or seem like they could exist in the real world. For example, a story could take place in New York City and use actual landmarks of the city as part of the setting like Central Park and Times Square, or it could have a made up city that still has recognizable structures such as grocery stores, retail districts, and residential areas.
Plot
The genre of realistic fiction focuses on conflicts and obstacles that readers can relate to because they involve that people frequently face throughout their lives. The plot is typically something that resonates deeply within some readers because of the realistic way in which the characters handle the obstacles in their way and the feelings that are shared throughout the story. Many readers feel a profound connection with some conflicts due to their own life experiences. Some of these conflicts could include:
- The struggle to fit in with one's peers
- The loss of a family member
- Relationship ups and downs
- Mental health issues
- Damaged familial relationships
Characters
The characters in this genre are created to seem like people the reader could envision knowing in his or her real life. These characters would not have any types of superpowers or fantastical origin stories. There are not evil villains. They are just people facing believable crises in their lives that readers can relate to. All characters are flawed in some way, but that is part of what makes the reader connect to them. Some examples of famous characters from realistic fiction include:
- Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders
- Auggie from Wonder
- Starr Carter from The Hate U Give
Themes
A theme is a message that the reader is supposed to take away from a story that is applicable to his or her own life. A story can have multiple themes that are developed throughout the novel or short story. Some popular themes in realistic fiction include:
- Friends can be a chosen family
- Self-Love is the most important kind of love
- Cheaters never win
- Change is the only permanent thing.
- Time heals all wounds
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Title | Author and Publication Date | Elements of Realistic Fiction |
---|---|---|
The Outsiders | S.E. Hinton 1967 | Characters facing poverty |
Deep friendships | ||
Setting in Oklahoma | ||
Dealing with loss and grief | ||
Wonder | R.J. Palacio 2012 | Struggle to fit in due to appearance |
Finding self-love in individuality | ||
Trying to form friendships | ||
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas 2017 | Fighting for equality |
Dealing with injustice | ||
Struggling with grief and loss | ||
Discovering one's true self |
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
To review, realistic fiction is a genre of literature that encompasses stories that, while still fictional, seem as if they could take place in the real world. The setting, characters, plot, and theme all represent things or people that readers may encounter in their everyday lives. This type of fiction typically resonates with readers more-so than other types because it is so reminiscent of real life.
Remember:
- Realistic fiction tends to take place in the present or recent past.
- All parts of realistic fiction stories are believable.
- Realistic fiction is still fiction, it does not contain true events or facts from the lives of real people.
- Characters in realistic fiction face believable problems that are dealt with and solved in realistic ways.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Video Transcript
Definition of Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction is a genre consisting of stories that could have actually occurred to people or animals in a believable setting. These stories resemble real life, and fictional characters within these stories react similarly to real people. Stories that are classified as realistic fiction have plots that highlight social or personal events or issues that mirror contemporary life, such as falling in love, marriage, finding a job, divorce, alcoholism, etc. They depict our world and our society.
Characteristics of Realistic Fiction
A quick way to classify a story or novel as realistic fiction is to identify the following characteristics within that literary work:
- Realistic fiction stories tend to take place in the present or recent past.
- Characters are involved in events that could happen.
- Characters live in places that could be or are real.
- The characters seem like real people with real issues solved in a realistic way (so say goodbye to stories containing vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, dragons, zombies, etc.).
- The events portrayed in realistic fiction conjure questions that a reader could face in everyday life.
Examples of Realistic Fiction
Let's take a look at a few examples of realistic fiction. First, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green tells the story of 17-year-old Hazel, who has terminal cancer and grudgingly attends a cancer support group. There, she meets her friend Isaac and her love interest Augustus Waters. Their story unfolds, dealing with friendship, teen romance, loss, teen angst, holding onto humor in the face of pain, and living with limited time.
This bestselling novel exemplifies realistic fiction because it is set in modern times, the characters are involved in a situation that is sadly not far from some people's reality, and they live in the familiar setting of a suburban American town. Hazel, Isaac, Augustus, and the minor characters involved all seem like they could be real people, and the questions raised about love, death, and teenage struggles are ones that many people must ask themselves in real life.
Next, let's look at Elizabeth Strout's novel, The Burgess Boys, which tells the story of two men who struggle with the haunting memory of an accident that killed their father when they were children. Forced to leave New York City and return to their hometown in Maine, the men must face their past by helping their sister with her troubled son. Strout's novel can be considered realistic fiction because it has a contemporary, believable setting. People in real life deal with similar struggles, and the characters solve their problems in realistic ways. Difficult situations in this story raise questions about family ties, death, and sibling relationships, which are all relatable issues.
Finally, let's take a look at Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. This novel is about a unique teenage girl who isn't afraid to be different. The students of Mica High are abuzz about her, and no one is more captivated by her than Leo. At first, everyone is enchanted by her curious ways, but then they turn on her. While this story does deal with issues like peer pressure and conformity, it also touches on romance and the power of individuality, showing that realistic fiction deals with both the positive and negative sides of real life.
Lesson Summary
Realistic fiction is a genre consisting of stories that could have actually occurred to people or animals in a believable setting. The setting, conflicts, and characters within a piece of realistic fiction must be easy to believe. If the story seems like something that could happen in real life, and if the characters behave like real people and live in a modern, believable place, then you can conclude that the story is part of this reasonable, sensible genre. So, if the story is set during an apocalypse brought on by an invasion of talking monkeys, or if the characters solve their problems with superhuman powers, you know it cannot be considered realistic fiction!
Learning Outcomes
Apply your knowledge of the above information to:
- Verbalize the definition of realistic fiction
- Enumerate the characteristics of realistic fiction
- Give examples of modern realistic fiction
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Register to view this lesson
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
BackResources created by teachers for teachers
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.