“Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures (Ralph Waldo Emerson).” Emerson explains that fiction introduces overwhelming topics that society may not be aware of. However, it is interpreted in a way where readers avoid persecution. Fiction paints the reality of society, while the real world asserts these issues bluntly and abruptly. Reading fiction is not a waste of time because it expands one’s imagination, changes people’s perspectives on today’s issues, and matures one’s moral ethics.
Fiction broadens people’s interpretation of imagination. According to Jonathan Gottschall, a professor who specializes in literature and evolution, “The beautiful lies of novels, movies, and TV stories have surprisingly powerful effects – and may even help make society tick.” Gottschall explains that the effects that fictional stories have on people can shape society. According to Gottshall, psychological research shows that, “Studies show that when we read nonfiction, we read with our shields up.
We are critical and skeptical. But when we are absorbed in a story, we drop our intellectual guard. We are moved emotionally, and this seems to make us rubbery and easy to shape.” This research supports the idea that fictional stories expands one’s imagination and emotional thoughts. As people read fiction, versus non-fiction, they tend to immerse themselves into the story because stories as such, have not ever been told before. People read the stories as if they were the main character, and they foresee their fate. They begin to imagine themselves in similar situations.
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Fiction engenders people to view world issues from a distinct standpoint. “My primary goal is to create an entertaining story while bringing these ripped-from-the-headlines issues into my fiction…. Through a compelling story, you can get readers to think about things they may not have before (Kelly Oliver)”. Oliver claims that using social issues to base her novels off of creates a riveting story for her readers to ponder over.
They see the social or political issue from all perspectives of characters that have different opinions. They learn to consider different viewpoints and discover that their own opinion may be faulty. “… While you can’t explore issues in depth in fiction the way you can in nonfiction, you can breathe life into them and make them relevant to readers in new ways. (Kelly Oliver)” Kelly explains that nonfiction is prone to state the facts; however, fiction unfolds the reality slowly, in an intriguing way.
Fiction informs the readers of society’s issues through a captivating point of view. “You can show what it feels like to believe passionately in something rather than merely describe the arguments pro and con (Kelly Oliver).” Oliver demonstrates that rather than stating the logistics, people can feel the gist of the conflict by reading an exaggerated version of it. This way one can pertain their interpretations of the story to one of today’s social conflicts. .
Reading fiction helps develop the moral ethics of society. “… Reading literature will seem like a way of acquiring wisdom; it gets us off our little island in time and place and shows us how our own values might appear to others. (Professor Gary Saul Morson)” Professor Morson alludes to fiction as a reading that informs a reader of how their own principles affect others’ consciences. Fiction improves one’s ability to read other people and their thoughts. It enhances their ability to empathize.
Reading fiction is not a waste of time as it expands one’s imagination, teaches one to view social issues from different standpoints, and enhances the moral principles of society.
