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Historical Fiction

Historical (Realistic) Fiction


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Definition:

A fictional story set in a recognizable period of history; characters and events are realistic, and historical events are necessary to the plot of the narrative.

Purposes:

  • To illuminate today’s problems by examining those of other times
  • To increase understanding of historical events
  • To depict life honestly and accurately from what was learned from research accounts, interviews and oral history records
  • To engage the reader in the lives of historical characters and events
  • To engage the reader in a simulated historical time period
  • Making history come alive by spinning intriguing stories around dates and facts

Characteristics:

  • Narrative structure and elements: characters in historical settings who experience events and conflict when attempting to resolve problems
  • Describes political or social events of the time/historical period as well as actual persons, events, backgrounds and settings
  • Historical big ideas, lessons and themes
  • Forms: prehistoric and traditional epics and sagas

Themes:

  • Understandings about life that hold true in all or most circumstances and contexts (universal truths)
  • Consequences of conflict and policy
  • Political values and ideal systems
  • Fallacies and human error
  • Survival and perseverance
  • Relationships
  • Sportsmanship
  • Change

Characters:

  • Historical and fictional mix
  • Credible, realistic, but fictional
  • Realistic dialogue moves the plot along
  • Realistic physical description, language, descriptions of characters
  • Dialogue reveals the thoughts, feelings and values characteristic of the historical period
  • Dialogue may reflect dialects related to place and era
  • Requires prior research to ensure consistency with historical accuracy

Setting:

  • Introduction “sets the stage” through a scenario (including setting, conflict, problem and goal)
  • Opens with historical background information about events taking place before the story begins
  • Based upon a specific historical time and place
  • Time and place play a prominent role rather than serving as a backdrop
  • Details are based upon information from documented records
  • Locales change based upon the progression of historical events covered

Plot:

  • Includes story events and characters’ reactions to the events, and roadblocks to resolution of the problem — all in keeping with historical records
  • Includes variations of foreshadowing and flashback
  • Events/conflicts historically consistent and authentic
  • Ends with an historically accurate, fictionalized resolution

Author’s craft:

  • Application of information from historical research
  • Believable dialogue reflects authentic spirit, characters’ perspectives and thoughts, as well as, values of the times
  • Authenticity of language
  • Point of view often revealed through journals and memoirs
  • Imagery
  • Foreshadowing and flashback
  • Depth of idea development, reflection and/or insight
  • Elaborated, relevant, historically-based details

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Historical Fiction:

Grade 5

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 8

Opportunities to Teach:

  • How literature reflects life
  • Structure
  • Elements
  • Purpose
  • Characterization: how traits and setting define plot, climax, role of dialogue, and problems
  • Point of view
  • Problem resolution
  • Theme or universal truth
  • Exaggeration
  • Metaphor
  • Visualizing
  • Connections/insights
  • Draw parallels across time and culture
  • Functions of heroes, anti-heroes and narrators
  • Comprehension skills and strategies (conclude, infer, synthesize, connect, reread, summarize)
  • Personal response
  • How literature reflects life
  • Analysis of structure, elements, style, purpose, actions
  • Theme and/or universal truth
  • Metaphor
  • Analysis of minor characters’ roles in the conflict
  • Point of view
  • Credibility of the narrator
  • Distortion and stereotypes of gender, race, culture, age, class, religion, and other individual differences
  • Symbolism
  • Imagery
  • Interpretation
  • Consistency of narration
  • Characterization
  • Visualizing
  • Connections/insights
  • Comprehension skills and strategies (conclude, infer, synthesize, connect, reread, summarize)
  • Theme or universal truth
  • Personal response

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPOSING the Genre and Text of Historical Fiction:

Grade 5

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 8

Opportunities to Teach:

  • Writing process
  • Techniques for developing narrative structure
  • Research skills
  • Application of research to the narrative
  • Development of narrative elements
  • Characterization
  • Developing “time”
  • Purposeful dialogue
  • Elaborating an historical moment
  • Generating the main character’s thoughts, motivations, and internal dialogue
  • Writing process
  • Techniques for developing narrative structure
  • Research skills
  • Stereotypical characterization in keeping with the era
  • Application of research to the narrative
  • Development of narrative elements
  • Symbolism
  • Developing and manipulating “time”
  • Consistency of narration
  • Role of minor characters in developing conflict
  • Imagery
  • Elaborating an historical moment
  • Generating the main character’s thoughts, motivations, and internal dialogue
  • Rising and falling action
  • Purposeful dialogue

Booklists:

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District


Page last modified on February 27, 2009, at 09:59 AM