The Importance of Fiction

With garbage franchises like Twilight and The Hunger Games, I feel that the nature of fictitious novels and films is steadily declining as a result of society's poor taste and low expectations for this genre. Over the last couple weeks at NCSU, I've engaged in some very compelling discussions in class regarding this subject.

In order to understand the significance of fiction, we must first establish a clear and precise definition for it. Is fiction nothing more than made-up tales presented through the minds of imaginary characters, allowing us to escape from the constraints of reality? Or does this medium of storytelling serve a greater purpose?

The first novel we've been reading in Studies in Fiction is Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, a literary piece which has stood the test of time as one of the most definitive works in this genre. However, in spite of its legacy, this book is filled with numerous inconsistencies. There are time gaps, unnecessary repetitions, and characterization choices which leave readers puzzled. These things make us wonder exactly what intentions Defoe had when he wrote it. We know from the preface that he used Crusoe's character to project his ideas about the world and the direction of society; which to me should be the goal of every great writer.

At the time when Robinson Crusoe was written, the very concept of a fictional novel was a radical concept in it of itself. Although we as humans have always had an innate desire for storytelling, this particular medium had not yet developed. Furthermore, novels acquired just as much controversy as movies would at the birth of the film industry. The risk Defoe and other writers took at this time, and still take today, points to the fact that fiction is an important genre which allows us to reflect upon the questions that we all long to answer.

Let's look at one of my favorite pieces of fiction in both literature and cinema: Cormac McCarthy's best-selling novel No Country For Old Men, adapted into an Academy Award Winning film by Joel and Ethan Coen. Not only is this story a grotesquely intriguing tale of vengeance and mystery, but the manner in which it is presented enables us to examine the depths of our capacity for evil.

A common aspect of fiction is the idea that there are two sides to us all, which is explored in McCarthy's novel and the Coen Brothers' film. The moral implications of us possessing a split personality can be portrayed in numerous ways, as seen throughout a multitude of fictitious works. Because fiction has such an appeal to a wide range of audiences, writers and filmmakers are able to use it as a gateway to express their ideas regarding the nature of good and evil, along with a variety of other subjects.

My concern is that because so much of our society is easily wooed by anything (Hunger Games has the linguistic level of a 12 year-old), I'm afraid people fail to recognize the power of this genre. Too many make a conscious decision to turn their minds off when going to the movies or reading books, which lowers the bar for quality fiction.

Hence, my hope is that writers won't allow society's idea of good fantasy (crappy vampire romance), and good science fiction (a poorly written futuristic Lord of the Flies), to influence them.