Identify and Describe Patterns in the Genre’s Features
- What content is typically included or excluded? How is the content treated? What sorts of examples are used? What counts as evidence (personal testimony, facts, etc.)?
The content that is typically included would be cowboys and bad guys, deception, and heroism. Examples can be seen from the many spaghetti westerns that are available.
- What rhetorical appeals are used? What appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos appear?
The rhetorical appeals that are used can be seen as more pathos than anything, playing on the emotions of the viewers of the movie. Getting the audience to be invested with this outlaw like character, who is constantly in danger.
- How are texts in the genres structured? What are their parts, and how are they organized?
The texts are structured by a formal movie plot style. A beginning, opening of the movie, problem, solution, climax, and finale.
- In what format are texts of this genre presented? What layout or appearance is common? How long/big is a typical text in this genre?
If we were to analyze the text throughout the movie, we can see that there are some dramatic big/ long texts that help hype up the movie. Creating drama, through the use of different fonts when there is a new city that the protagonist goes into.
- What types of “sentences” do texts in the genre typically use? How long are they? Are they simple or complex, passive or active? Are the sentences varied? Do they share a certain style?
The sentences that are used are not that long, however this genre in a movie setting, really takes more of a imagery approach. The words that the protagonist would say, or the villain, is usually not too long of a sentence. Usually there is more action than script in any sort of western movie.
- What diction is most common? What types of words (or symbols, images, etc.) are most frequent? Is a type of jargon used? Is slang used? How would you describe a typical writer’s tone?
The diction that is used can be seen through symbols and images. The most common would be cowboy hats, warrants, pistols, and speak-easy settings. Calling each other names to get them to have a duel with you is also common diction throughout the movies.
Analyze What These Patterns Reveal About the Situation and Scene
- What do these patterns reveal about the genre, its situation, and the people who use it?
These patterns reveal more of a subculture of people that are invested in creating a situation where there isn’t a clear line as to who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. In most Western movies there are clear character roles, and spaghetti westerns give the availability to see the other side.
- What do participants have to know or believe to understand or appreciate the genre?
Really the participants don’t have to know anything to understand the genre, however to appreciate the genre you have to somewhat be into the Western genre. If you aren’t into the western genre, then the watcher would probably get bored very quickly.
- Who is invited into the genre, and who is excluded??
People that are into Westerns are more targeted to like this genre, however there really isn’t a group that is excluded. I started watching spaghetti westerns when I was around ten years old.
- What roles for writers and readers does it encourage or discourage?
The roles that the writer provides for the reader encourages them to see a unique view of how westerns should be. It shows how lawless this time could have been, and nothing is very clear- cut.
- What can you learn about the actions being performed through the genre by observing its language patterns?
By studying the language patterns that are used throughout spaghetti westerns, the viewer can more or less get a sense of why the author has created such a subgenre.
- How is the subject of the genre treated? What content is considered most important? What content (topics or details) is ignored?
The content that I feel is most important would be that of the danger and deceit that these characters go through in order to obtain their certain goal throughout the movie.
- What values, beliefs, goals, and assumptions are revealed through the genre’s patterns?
The goal of the author would more or less be to show this other side of western culture. Not everything is seen as a hero’s story, but provides a healthy perspective from a Italian producer. Through the patterns that are evident in the genre, and what ideas are pushed we are able to see that there is clearly another view of how westerns should be produced.
- What actions does the genre enable? What actions does the genre constrain??
The actions that the genre enables are changing the minds of some western enthusiasts, and providing a fresh perspective. There isn’t much constraint at all, since the authors don’t really control if people watch their movies.
