When examining texts, there are a number of factors that may be taken into account. Whereas it is common practice to merely take texts at face value, they can be analysed in a variety of different ways, each of which can give the reader a clearer idea of the intentions and purposes of the text. Genre is a key factor in identifying texts, as are the meanings that certain texts produce, and it is also important to consider the cultural literacies presumed on behalf of the reader. Within the two given articles, Van Der Graaf Generator (hereafter Article 1), and Introduction (hereafter Article 2), each of these elements can be dissected in order to obtain a clearer understanding of the texts as a whole. Genre is a concept which is often subjectively defined. Certain characteristics of texts will almost always be seen as projecting different meanings to different people, given a wide enough sample area. And since texts can be seen as groups of characteristics or signs, and genres are essentially different types of texts, the meanings made by an audience of a given text have a significant effect on the interpretation of genre. To elaborate further on this concept, it should be considered that the meanings made by an audience of a text rely heavily on the cultural literacies of said audience. In other words, as the context changes, so too can the meanings made. Schirato and Yell state that "meanings.are always informed by and produced out of different contexts." Therefore, as these three elements of communications (genre, meanings and cultural literacies) are closely linked, they must each be considered in relation to each other. To define the particular genre of Article 1, it is important to first look at the intentions of the text. At first glance it can easily be determined that the text is informative, relating the story of Van Der Graaf Generator in a chronological, biographical style.
