, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
Question 1
1. Read the story below and then answer the questions that follow.
1.1. What kind of literature does this story belong to? Is it fiction or non-fiction? - fantasy or
realism? - and prose, poetry or drama? Give two reasons from the passage for your answers.
This story belongs to fiction, specifically the sub-genre of fantasy, and it is written as prose.
Two reasons that it is fiction (not non-fiction):
The story features animals and objects that speak and act like humans, which is invented from
the imagination. For example, the old woman commands, "Water, please splash this dog," and
the mouse negotiates, "I will chew the rope, if you will give me some cheese" (ENG2613,
501/2020, p. 38 of the story text). This is not based on factual events.
As defined in the tutorial letter, "Fiction is writing created from the imagination such as novels
or short stories. It is not presented as fact" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 14). The talking pig, dog,
water, ox, rope, and mouse clearly originate from imagination, not reality.
Two reasons that it is fantasy (not realism):
The story includes elements "far removed from life or unreal" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 16).
The old woman expects a bucket of water to obey her command to "splash the dog," which is
impossible in the real world.
A comparison chart in the tutorial letter notes that fantasy involves "make-believe" and "the
dream world" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 16, 19). This story’s sequence of a rope tying a butcher
and a mouse chewing a rope as part of a causal chain of events is purely make-believe.
One reason that it is prose (not poetry or drama):
The story is written in sentences and paragraphs without the line breaks, stanzas, or metrical rhythm
that characterize poetry. As the tutorial letter states, "Prose uses chapters to divide sections of the
text... Its language sounds like everyday speech" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 10). This story uses
continuous narrative paragraphs, not stanzas or dramatic scripts with character headings and stage
directions (Hartman, 2025).
Question 1
1. Read the story below and then answer the questions that follow.
1.1. What kind of literature does this story belong to? Is it fiction or non-fiction? - fantasy or
realism? - and prose, poetry or drama? Give two reasons from the passage for your answers.
This story belongs to fiction, specifically the sub-genre of fantasy, and it is written as prose.
Two reasons that it is fiction (not non-fiction):
The story features animals and objects that speak and act like humans, which is invented from
the imagination. For example, the old woman commands, "Water, please splash this dog," and
the mouse negotiates, "I will chew the rope, if you will give me some cheese" (ENG2613,
501/2020, p. 38 of the story text). This is not based on factual events.
As defined in the tutorial letter, "Fiction is writing created from the imagination such as novels
or short stories. It is not presented as fact" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 14). The talking pig, dog,
water, ox, rope, and mouse clearly originate from imagination, not reality.
Two reasons that it is fantasy (not realism):
The story includes elements "far removed from life or unreal" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 16).
The old woman expects a bucket of water to obey her command to "splash the dog," which is
impossible in the real world.
A comparison chart in the tutorial letter notes that fantasy involves "make-believe" and "the
dream world" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 16, 19). This story’s sequence of a rope tying a butcher
and a mouse chewing a rope as part of a causal chain of events is purely make-believe.
One reason that it is prose (not poetry or drama):
The story is written in sentences and paragraphs without the line breaks, stanzas, or metrical rhythm
that characterize poetry. As the tutorial letter states, "Prose uses chapters to divide sections of the
text... Its language sounds like everyday speech" (ENG2613, 501/2020, p. 10). This story uses
continuous narrative paragraphs, not stanzas or dramatic scripts with character headings and stage
directions (Hartman, 2025).
