{"id":5639,"date":"2021-05-02T11:44:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-02T07:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/?p=5639"},"modified":"2021-05-02T11:44:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-02T07:44:19","slug":"is-reading-fiction-a-waste-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/2021\/05\/02\/is-reading-fiction-a-waste-of-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Is reading fiction a waste of time?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is reading fiction a waste of time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Defined as literature that narrates imaginary events or stories of most commonly imaginary people, fiction is a way of storytelling adored by many. To some, it\u2019s escapism, a world giving them a sense of accomplishment, something far from the cruelty of reality. To others, it\u2019s simply wondrous to soak in the charm of imagination, to enter the thoughts of another, a sphere of endless possibilities. Given its marvel, is fiction truly a constructive genre to relish? If all is seemingly imaginary, what lessons connecting to reality could it possibly teach us?<\/p>\n

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In \u2018The Tell-Tale Heart\u2019 Edgar Allen Poe wrote: \u201cHe had the eye of a vulture\u2014a pale blue eye, with a film over it.\u201d Descriptive imagery such as this and meticulous word-building are imperative facets of fiction as they wholly pull the reader into this fictional world, taking them through its nook and crannies. This incites creativity and builds an entire visual image in a reader\u2019s mind on the basis of the details given. Moreover, the delicate way these complex stories are weaved, or even simple stories accompanied by each character\u2019s individual complications not only evokes empathy in a reader, but it may also provide a sense of intimacy or relatability. This either already existing or harbored familiarity with a character can help readers confront and deal with their scenarios and their thoughts.<\/p>\n

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What about fantasy? What if it\u2019s impossible to relate to an exiled prince\u2019s struggles? When it comes to fantasy, it opens us up to the wonders of the world around us. As said by J.R.R Tolkien in his essay \u2018On Fairy Stories: \u201cAnd actually fairy-stories deal largely, or (the better ones) mainly, with simple or fundamental things, untouched by Fantasy, but these simplicities are made all the more luminous by their setting. For the story-maker who allows himself to be \u201cfree with\u201d Nature can be her lover, not her slave. It was in fairy stories that I first divined the potency of the words, and the wonder of the things, such as stone, and wood, and iron; tree and grass; house and fire; bread and wine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fantasy, fiction, and fairytales add mystique to even the simplest things in life, whether that\u2019s through the way they\u2019re described or through the power they hold in that made-up universe; the grandiose setting they\u2019re put in makes them incandescent. Fantasy gifts us with a Midas touch, the ability to see even a stone as fantastical, to see nature as a treasure unaltered. They cause our perspectives to recast, to see all broken mirrors as mirror balls, to find fantasy within simplicity and natural occurrence.<\/p>\n

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Deemed a form of Escapist literature, many seek solace in fiction, a comforting escape. Why should \u2018escape\u2019 have a negative connotation when talking about fictional literature? As stated by J.R.R Tolkien, \u201cEscape is evidently as a rule very practical, and may even be heroic. In real life it is difficult to blame it unless it fails; in criticism, it would seem to be the worse the better it succeeds.\u201d Fiction may be a coping mechanism for some, something showing them a hidden allure; it may even inspire endearment towards reality. This heroic element is just as significant and indelible as is knowledge; wanting to escape when stuck isn\u2019t something to blame now, is it?<\/p>\n

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Furthermore, fiction can be extremely evocative and thought-provoking, as it can cause us to visualize future consequences, dystopias based on reality, and how our actions can ruin our own end. An example could be the poem \u2018Fire and Ice\u2019 by Robert Frost, a poem calling attention to this talent humankind possesses when it comes to self-destruction. Fire here represents desire and ice represents hatred; humans continually create seemingly minuscule disasters on their own, in the long run, these immensely devastating forces in reality continually bring about destruction, and might as well be our end. Fiction has the capability to give us a sense of epiphany, no matter how trivial.<\/p>\n

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Besides its personal effects, fiction holds substantial power in regard to social impact. Fictional books such as George Orwell\u2019s 1984 and Animal Farm had considerable influence on readers\u2019 political perspectives; in addition, Uncle Tom\u2019s Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe shifted the way slavery was viewed by Americans.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019ve all been enchanted by flying brooms, witches, and elves; we\u2019ve all wistfully longed for the return of beloved characters; we\u2019ve all captured and engraved moments in fictional universes. To conclude, with everything fiction has to offer, is it possible for it to be a waste of time? Even if fiction just provides entertainment and escapism to one, so long as it’s gleeful, there will always be something to gain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bibliography:
\nhttps:\/\/coolcalvary.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/on-fairy-stories1.pdf<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/1842370\/how-fiction-impacts-fact-social-impact-books<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is reading fiction a waste of time? Defined as literature that narrates imaginary events or stories of most commonly imaginary people, fiction is a way of storytelling adored by many. To some, it\u2019s escapism, a world giving them a sense of accomplishment, something far from the cruelty of reality. To others, it\u2019s simply wondrous to soak in the charm of imagination, to enter the thoughts of another, a sphere of endless possibilities. Given its marvel, is fiction truly a constructive genre to relish? If all is seemingly imaginary, what lessons… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[32],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5640,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639\/revisions\/5640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merrylandinternational.net\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}