Week 4. Contemporary and Popular Lit

Mallig Plains Colleges, Inc.
Casili, Mallig, Isabela
The learning material is a property of the College of Teacher Education- Mallig Plains
Colleges, Inc. It aims to improve students’ performance specifically in their
SPECIALIZATION.
Learning Area: CONTEMPORARY AND POPULAR LITERATURE

Learning Resource Type: MODULE 4
Instructor: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES
GENERAL INSTRUCTION/S:
The module will start with an introduction which will give a general background on the
subject. Series of activities and discussions will encourage you to explore and learn about the topic.
Through this module, the following instruction/s should be followed.
 This module is exclusively for MPCI students only.
Submit your activity in the GOOGLE CLASSROOM.
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides pre-service English teachers with opportunities to acquire extensive
reading backgrounds in literature and allied fields needed in the understanding and
evaluation of critical issues in contemporary and popular literature and genres. This course
allows them to demonstrate their research-based content knowledge and its relevance in the
teaching-learning process using various methods of literary analysis.
II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
A. Discuss research-based content knowledge and critical issues on contemporary, popular, and
emergent literature and its relevance in the teaching-learning process;
B. Explain the development of a given genre of popular literature from its beginning to its
contemporary practice through a historical timeline; and
C. Use various methods of literary analysis, such as formal, psychological, and/or feminist
analysis in writing a response paper
III. COURSE CONTENT

VI. POPULAR LITERATURE GENRES
1. Romance
IV. LEARNING EXPERIENCES
PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 1

WHAT IS ROMANCE?
In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that involves a
mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line where the focus is on a quest that involves
bravery and strong values, not always a love interest. However, modern definitions of romance
also include stories that have a relationship issue as the main focus.
A modern romance example would include:
 The story of a character who keeps meeting the wrong 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 finding Mr. or Mrs.
Right. The whole focus would be the relationship, although the character may also be
dealing with other struggles, such as losing a job, handling difficult parents, etc.
These stories may be funny, sad, tragic, serious, or a mix. The obvious resolution to the conflict
would be finding the right person or saving the present relationship.
TYPES OF ROMANCE
A. GOTHIC
In Gothic romance, the settings are usually in distant regions and the stories feature dark
and compelling characters. They became popular in the late 19 th century and usually had a sense
of transcendence, supernatural, and irrationality. Popular Gothic novels still read by many high
school students today, classics such as:
 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
B. HISTORICAL
Historical romance takes place in times long past and appears romantic due to
the adventure and wildness of the time. This also provides value and meaning to the lifestyle of
the characters. The following novels fit in this sub-genre:
 The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
 Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott.
C. CONTEMPORARY/MODERN
Contemporary romance focuses on a love relationship and has a happy ending. There are
two ways these romance novels are written: as a series or category romance (the author writes a
succession of books that fit a theme or follow a storyline) or as a single-title romance.
Even more so, within the sub-genre romance, and as seen in many movies, there can be:
 comedy-romance
 tragic-romance
 satire-romance
 serious romance
IMPORTANCE OF ROMANCE
Romance is a natural human emotion. Sad love songs and poems when one is recovering
from a broken heart can help express unspoken feelings. Happy romantic movies and plays help

people feel optimistic that someday they will also find true love. However, there is some
criticism that many modern romantic stories make people develop unrealistic views about real
relationships, as they expect love to be like it is in the movies.
Barbara Cartland was a British writer who wrote 723 romance novels before her death in
2000. While her novels were mainly historical in context, Cartland’s simple format for love
stories and success opened a whole new publishing field, specifically with companies such as
Harlequin Romance and Bantam. The plot lines she used focused on a simple model: handsome
stranger, innocent and pure female, and a conflict that required trust and dependence. The couple
usually didn’t get along at first, or they had a misunderstanding. Yet, the stories always ended in
marriage and complete happiness. As a result, more modern writers began filling the niche and
the romance novel evolved on different levels.
EXAMPLES OF ROMANCE IN LITERATURE
Example 1: Gothic Romance

A classic story that contains all the standard elements and has been made into several
movies is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, published in 1847. In this gothic romance, there are
unexplained and irrational happenings in an isolated region with mysterious characters, which
help create a dark mood. Tragedy and sadness also act as part of the plot. This trailer for a
2011 live-action British version illustrates the gothic romance perfectly.
Example 2: Historical Romance

One literary figure who has had many stories, poems, songs, and plays written about him
is the legendary King Arthur. Historians have never proven that he existed, but there are theories
that the legend may have been based on a few leaders from long ago. Needless to say, this
unknown man has been the focus of many historical romances. His leading character traits are
usually honesty and bravery, necessary in bringing a torn country to peace. The idea of true
chivalry ran through the stories of his knights and the round table. A more recent screenplay
based on this literary figure and uses a different yet more realistic twist is the 2004 release
of King Arthur, starring Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. In this version, Guinevere is a Woad
(a group of Celtics who have been fighting the invading Romans and is based on a historical
fact).
Example 3: Contemporary Romance

Many novels of the author Nicholas Sparks have been made into popular movies, such
as The Notebook, A Walk to remember, and Safe Haven. His stories all have love as a theme,
some featuring a long-time love that was lost then recovered, others with a long-time love
reaching the end of life, and others with bad relationships that find happiness in new ones.
CONCLUSION
Many people today don’t realize that romance is more than a love story. Romance can be
a complex plotline with a setting from the past in a remote, faraway place. Instead of focusing on

a love story, it idealizes values and principles that seem lost in today’s world of technology and
instant gratification. However, romance may also be a typical, romantic, love story that makes
people sigh with wishful thinking.
HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE

When writing a romance story make sure to use age-appropriate behaviors and conversation.
Many stories aimed toward the Young Adult category display intimacy that may lead teens to
behaviors for which they aren’t yet emotionally mature enough to handle. Any sexual intimacy
and conversations should be age appropriate and follow the norms of the time period in which
the storyline occurs.
 The overall plot for a traditional romance such as gothic or historical should:
 Make sure there is a noble hero (usually a man) who is chivalrous, strong (of
mind/body), and brave
 Create a setting far in the past
 Create a quest for the protagonist to fulfill
 Make use of research on relevant time periods; use accurate descriptions of eating
utensils, foods, clothing, buildings, and ways of travel, they make the story appear more
realistic
 Perhaps include a romantic interest in the story, but it should not be the focus.
 Create various adventures that will showcase the character traits of both the
protagonist and antagonist
 Include a resolution that focuses on the protagonist’s success or failure in the
quest.
 For a modern romance, the plot should:
 Include a conflict focusing on a love relationship; there may be other conflicts
throughout the story, but they should affect or evolve from the love conflict
 Include a protagonist (male or female) that may have good or bad qualities (again,
accuracy to the time period will give credibility and keep an interest in the storyline;
modern romances can be from mid-1900s and on, so knowing that cell phones were not
common until the late 1990s would be an important factor to remember when creating a
modern romance
 Ideally, include a happy resolution.
V. ASSESMENT OF TASK
TASK 1: Watch the Movie, A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks and write a review that
cover all aspects of filmmaking that went into creating the final product, including:
 Plot: What was the movie about? Was it believable? Interesting? Thought-provoking?
How was the climax revealed? How did the setting affect the story?

 Themes and Tone: What was the central goal of the movie? Was it made to entertain,
educate, or bring awareness to an issue? Was there any strong impression the movie made on
you? Did any symbolism come into play?
 Acting and Characters: Did you like how the characters were portrayed? Did the acting
support the characters, and help them come to life? Did the characters display complex
personalities or were they stereotypes? Were there characters that embodied certain archetypes to
enhance or diminish the film?
 Direction: Did you like how the director chose to tell the story? Was the direction
comparable to other movies this director has created? Was the storytelling complex or
straightforward? Was there a certain amount of suspense or tension that worked? Did the director
create a captivating conflict?
 Production Design: Did the sets feel lived-in and believable to the story or characters?
Were the costumes suitable for the characters or story? Did the created environments heighten
the atmosphere on camera?
 Special Effects: Were the special effects believable? Did they align with the era and tone
of the movie? Were the effects overboard or too subtle? Did they integrate well to the purpose of
the story?
 Dialogue: Were the conversations believable or necessary? Did the dialogue bring
context to plot developments? Did the words match the tone of the movie and personality of the
characters?
VI. REFERENCES:
Heick, T. (2017) 12 strategies for teaching literature in the 21st century
Kubala, R. (2015). “Philosophy, literature and emotional engagement” (CW).

https://sdfilmfest.com/how-to-analyze-a-movie-step-by-step-guide-to-reviewing-films-from-a-
screeners-point-of-view/

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Mallig Plains Colleges, Inc.

Casili, Mallig, Isabela

Learning Area: CONTEMPORARY AND POPULAR LITERATURE

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

III. COURSE CONTENT

IV. LEARNING EXPERIENCES

PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 1

PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 2

EXAMPLES OF ROMANCE IN LITERATURE

Example 1: Gothic Romance

Example 2: Historical Romance

Example 3: Contemporary Romance

PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 3

HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE

PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 4

Heick, T. (2017) 12 strategies for teaching literature in the 21st century

Kubala, R. (2015). “Philosophy, literature and emotional engagement” (CW).

PREPARED BY: SHEILA MAE P. ARTATES 5

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