What does Neale claim about genres?

• A. They are fixed categories
• B. They are defined by repetition and difference
• C. They are random classifications
• D. They are defined by audience only

Answer: (B)

Neale treats genres as dynamic systems built through repetition and difference. The same conventions—plots, settings, character types, and iconography—get reused across texts, giving audiences recognizable patterns that signal a genre. But genre isn’t fixed by repetition alone; producers continually mix in variations, subversions, or blends with other genres to keep things fresh and to meet changing audience expectations. This ongoing tension between repeating familiar elements and introducing new twists is what lets genres evolve rather than stay rigid. So, the idea is that genres are defined by both the repetition of conventions and the differences introduced within or around them.