User:Nihonjoe/Slice of life
Slice of life is a term which refers to a naturalistic representation of real life[1] when portrayed in any dramatic or fictional presentation such as theatre, television, or film. The term is a translation of the French tranche de vie, credited to the French playwright Jean Jullien (1854–1919), and is sometimes used as an adjective, as in, "a play with 'slice of life' dialogue.".[1][2] In the 20th century, it expanded to mean "the realistic description or representation of events and situations in everyday life in literature, film, journalism, etc."[3]
As a presentation or representation of real life, there may be an appearance of little plot progression or character development, often with little to no exposition, conflict, or denouement, as well as frequently having an open ending. However, the best works in this genre tend to have a clear plot-line which depict the every-day life of ordinary people and brings seemingly random elements together to further the plot. Slice of life stories may either be dramatic or otherwise presented in a very serious nature, or may be used to help frame a comedic setting. Slice of life works can also contain significant conflict as well. An example of a slice of life drama which contains a lot of conflict would be The Catered Affair by Paddy Chayefsky.
Literature
[edit]Slice of life elements are often used within literature in order to ground the story in something familiar to the reader. John Steinbeck is an example of an author who uses "slice of life", making characters who could very well be real, then turning it into a story such as in Of Mice and Men.[4] Other literary examples include the manga series Yotsuba&!, which shows the world through the eyes of a child,[5] and Dubliners, a short story collection by James Joyce.[6]
Theatre and dramatical presentation
[edit]Jullien introduced the term not long after a staging of his play, The Serenade, as noted by Wayne S. Turney in his essay, "Notes on Naturalism in the Theatre":
- The Serenade was introduced by the Théâtre Libre in 1887. It is a prime example of rosserie, that is, plays dealing with corrupt, morally bankrupt characters who seem to be respectable, "smiling, smiling, damned villains..." Jullien gave us the famous apothegm defining naturalism in his The Living Theatre (1892): "A play is a slice of life put onstage with art." He goes on to say that "...our purpose is not to create laughter, but thought." He felt that the story of a play does not end with the curtain which is, he says, "only an arbitrary interruption of the action which leaves the spectator free to speculate about what goes on beyond..."[7]
During the 1950s, the phrase had common critical usage in reviews of live television dramas, notably teleplays by JP Miller, Paddy Chayefsky[8] and Reginald Rose.[9] At that time, it was sometimes used synonymously with the critical label "kitchen sink realism", adopted from British films and theater.
Other examples of slice of life presentations include the television series Seinfeld[10] and the anime video series Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "slice of life definition". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, page ??, Random House, 2006.
- ^ "slice of life definition". YourDictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
{{cite web}}: horizontal tab character in|title=at position 14 (help) - ^ Joe Banno (November 9–15, 2001). "Reigning Men". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
It does justice to both Of Mice and Men's European smarts and its italicized form of Americana, without apologizing or attempting to hammer itself back into Steinbeck's slice-of-life original.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ Carlo Santos (2007-11-27). "RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Society for the Study of Really Awesome Endings". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
Such is the way of Kiyohiko Azuma's slice-of-life storytelling, which was mastered within the four-panel pillars of Azumanga Daioh but perfected only in the full-chapter format that Yotsuba&! brings.
- ^ Christopher White. "James Joyce, Dubliners Unabridged". Green Man Review. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
The structure and content of the Dubliner stories, with their 'slice of life' approach and often lack of overt dramatic conflict and resolution, are today thoroughly familiar forms and devices, but were part of the explorations engaged in by Joyce and his contemporaries that transformed our literary tradition.
- ^ Turney, Wayne S. "Notes on Naturalism in the Theatre". Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ Gottfried, Martin (2003). "All His Jazz"". Da Capo Press. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ Dowler, Kevin. "Reginald Rose". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ ""Seinfeld a Study of Modern Character"". Annika Backlund. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
...Television offers its viewers a slice of life of New York citizen Jerry Seinfeld and friends...
- ^ Dirk Deppey (2006-10-13). "A Comics Reader's Guide to Manga Scanlations". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
The few actual incidents that occur in this series -- Alpha getting hit by lightning and recuperating in a hospital, or running out of coffee beans and riding her scooter to Yokohama to get more -- punctuate a calm, endless sea of chapters wherein she does little more than sit by the window, drink coffee, wander the fields with her camera, visit the beach with friends or pay leisurely visits to the town's few remaining human citizens.