Fiction

Nonfiction (as noted elsewhere , as well as below) is characterized by a claim of truth. Nonfiction can include a wide range of subjective forms of discussion:

assertions of personal preferences or belief,
appeals more to trust, faith, or personal values than scientific evidence or logical proof,
subjective analysis of otherwise objective data,
conclusions asserted with varying degrees of certainty.

Critical readers will recognize these subjective elements in seemingly objective presentations.

We read nonfiction for knowledge, new ideas, or to understand someone's perspective on, or analysis of, the world. We analyze works of nonfiction to recognize how choices of content and language shape the reader's perceptions and encourage the reader's acceptance.

Fiction: The Story And The Moral

Fiction is subjective and evocative. It is "made up," and indirect in its communication. A work of fiction may evoke:

the thrill of imagining impossible or unavailable experiences
intrigue with playing out "what if" or" if only" scenarios
feelings and perceptions of another historical period, or simply observations on the human condition

We thus read fiction not to gain new information so much as to experience the ideas and feelings a story inspires within us.

Readers have different expectations from fiction and nonfiction. Proof is a major issue with nonfiction; emotional involvement is a major issue with fiction. We expect a story (fiction) to grab us, an essay (nonfiction) to convince us. We will suspend belief when reading a romance novel or science fiction, but demand reason and evidence from nonfiction.

For passing time or sheer enjoyment, of course, simply reading the story can be satisfaction and reward enough. We do not have to analyze everything we read. The point is to be able to interpret when we want to—or have to.

Both fiction and nonfiction can be subjected to analysis and interpretation. These two forms of expression are, however, examined somewhat differently. One analyzes a nonfiction text

to discover underlying themes and perspectives, as well as
to realize how choices of content and language shape the reader's perception and encourage the reader's acceptance.

Analyzing Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, for instance, we can recognize not only remarks on the dedication of a cemetery, but comparisons between images of the living and dead, between what has been done and what must be done.

We analyze fictional works for recurring themes that reflect on the broader human experience. People do not really tell nursery rhymes so that children will know about a girl named Cinderella or about pigs who built houses. The stories have deeper, unstated meanings: virtue rewarded (Cinderella) or the folly of a lack of industry (The Three Little Pigs). We respond to both the story and an underlying message.

On the surface, Melville's Moby Dick , for instance, might be seen as an adventure story about a man hunting a whale. On closer analysis and interpretation, the novel might be seen as a depiction of man's battle to subdue nature or of a battle between good and evil. Since fiction is indirect, fiction can require a significant degree of analysis and interpretation if one is to get beyond simply following the story.

Fiction is Subjective

Fiction is, by definition, subjective. A novel, story, drama, or poem is the expression of an author's imagination. The characters and situations are "made up." Readers expect fiction to reflect the real world; they do not expect it to portray the real world. And yet fiction can seem very real without being factual. Poems can capture feelings or images to perfection. Events depicted in movies such as Schindler's List , Amistad , or Titanic can appear just as they might have in real life.

Fiction can be true, however, only in the sense that the actions or behaviors "ring true" with what we know of the world. The sentiment may be real, but the characters and incidents are the fruits of the author's imagination. And author and directors—as in the movies referred to above—often use "dramatic license" to distort history for dramatic effect.

Fiction is Evocative: Images and Symbols

Fiction conveys meaning indirectly (other than, of course, through morals at the ends of fables). The specifics are not significant. We draw meaning from the types of actions. This principle lies behind the fact that television crime series follow essentially the same plot line, week after week. It does not matter whether a crime victim is a socialite, a prostitute, a drug dealer, or politician, whether the crime is murder, extortion, or robbery. The message that the police always catch the criminal remains the same.

Fiction evokes ideas and feelings indirectly by triggering emotional responses and mental pictures. Fiction commonly communicates through images and symbols. Color is often symbolic, as with the red passion of the Scarlet Letter in the novel of that title. Sunlight often conveys truth or reason. In Willa Cather's short story "Death Comes to the Archbishop" the development of the Bishop's garden is a metaphor for the expansion of Catholicism in the New World. And then there is the politically incorrect use of white and black for good and bad, as in old Western movies.

Readers must be open to associations and reflection, creative in their understanding and interpretation. They must recognize a richness of figurative language and concomitant element of ambiguity. The more evocative a text, the more the reader must do the work of finding meaning within the text.

Interpretation: A Personal Understanding

The meaning of fictional works is more personal than that of nonfiction texts. With nonfiction texts, we assume any two readers will come away with pretty much the same understanding of what the text states. While we may not agree with someone else's interpretation, we should be able to follow their analysis.

With fiction, the meaning is dependent on the perceptions, imagination, and feelings of the reader. In both cases, however, we demand that an interpretation be based on evidence on the page. And in both cases, part of understanding is understanding one's own interests, values, and desires and how they affect what one looks for and how one thinks about what one finds.

Analyzing and Interpreting Fiction: Perspectives

The discussion of nonfiction texts focused on the analysis of choices of content , language , and structure . The same focus is useful for the analysis of fiction--with some adjustments. The discussion examines

the general perspective on each of the three major genres: novels (stories), drama, and poetry
the application of the notions of content, language, and structure for each genre

Fiction, we saw above, is mostly about telling stories and expressing feelings. The content of fiction may take the form of the events of a story, especially in novels and short stories, spoken remarks, especially in drama, or images and symbols, especially in poetry. All three elements appear to varying degrees in all forms of fiction.