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| Pinocchio (1940). When he lied, his nose grew. |
Can fiction lie? Does labeling something as fiction excuse it from all moral judgment? If fiction can not “lie,” can it be false in ways that are morally condemnable? Later in the same passage (ix-x), the author suggests that “lies told for the sake of artistic effect—in the theater, for instance, and in Campbell’s confessions, perhaps—can be, in a higher sense, the most beguiling forms of truth."
What do you make of the suggestion that fiction and art are more powerful/dangerous (“beguiling”) than the more straightforward truth claims made by journalists, say, or historians? What account for the power of fiction, which by its very definition, does not claim to be “the truth”?
Fiction spurs the reader’s thoughts and imagination. Authors who use fiction can more easily plant thoughts and ideas into the reader’s mind, and in affect, more easily sway the reader toward their stand on a particular subject. Though fiction by definition is mere imaginative fabrication, authors who implore such use of fiction can hide propagandized ideas and motivations beneath a veil of finely woven deception. In a sense, fiction is a kind of subliminal messaging in which the author of such hopes that the reader can perceive and read between the lines to see the true motivation and moral of the story. I think that written in the right hands, fiction can be a very compelling, persuasive, and even dangerous thing. A skilled writer is able to shape views, thoughts, and even moralistic opinions simply based on a fabricated idea, pushing the reader to delve deeper within themselves in questioning the underlying motive of a work simply labeled as fiction.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Heather, fiction is imagination at it's finest. To label something as fiction gives the reader an instant understanding that it is fake, but if the writer can secretly, and repeatedly, feed us underlying information to sway us to or away from a certain view point then does that change the fact that the label is fiction? Can someone genuinely prove that the piece is fiction if they are being persuaded to think otherwise? Fiction is supposed to be enjoyed, but if the reader isn't careful, that joyful reading experienced can be transformed into a new found idea that had never before crossed the reader's mind.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both of you. I really don't have any other commentary. You both kind of summed it up, but your comments definitely gave me a better insight!
ReplyDeleteI love how Heather put it—fiction is a kind of subliminal messaging. With the use of fiction, the author doesn’t have to portray genuine ideas. He can make anything as real as he wants it to be—truth or lies. How a reader absorbs conviction ultimately depends on their morale primarily. Thus, if moral changes due to fiction, how strong was your beliefs in the first place?
ReplyDeleteAs the other's have stated, fiction is the use of deep imagination and meanings into the character's lives. Authors are able to write using fiction to talk about an event or something meaningful, but relate these events with a make-believe story. Thus, giving the author total protection. Fiction appeals to certain readers, which the authors change the real information into a fictional event or character, and invent a story that the readers can relate to. I agree that through the use of fiction, the authors are able to capture the reader's thoughts and sway them into the author's views and beliefs. But isn't that the point? To reach out to the readers about a particular subject, through the use of fictional stories, to join the ideas of both readers and authors? Sounds like a great plan to me. Like political cartoons, the authors can write about subjects they feel are important or frustrating, without directly insulting or upsetting any particular person.
ReplyDeleteHeather: Do you think it is possible for a work of fiction to have a "subliminal message" that the author might deny is there? Is it possible for a book to carry a message or enforce a viewpoint that the author did not intend to put there?
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is entirely possibly for a work of fiction to have an unintentional “subliminal message” or viewpoint because the interpretation of a work of fiction is left to the reader. Although the author may have meant one thing, the reader can easily misinterpret the author’s thoughts and come to a totally different conclusion. While Authors can hint at what they want or think the moral or message of the story is, the interpretation of this moral or message is at the hands of the reader.
ReplyDeleteAn example of such is the controversy surrounding the extremely popular Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. Many people believe and have argued that these novels act as a sort of “gateway” for readers to begin practicing witchcraft and Satanism. Author J.K. Rowling has repeatedly argued that the idea of such a message is completely unfounded and absurd, and that it was never her intention to introduce children—or anyone – to the practice of witchcraft or Satanism. In my opinion, this is an excellent example in which we see how readers have taken their interpretations of a fictitious text and found a seemingly “subliminal message” that the author did not intend and denies wholeheartedly that is even there at all.