Interpreting and Evaluating Fiction

Interpreting and Evaluating Fiction
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.
Commercial Fiction
 Intended solely to entertain
 Legal thrillers, romance novels
 Escapist
 Formulaic
Literary Fiction
 Written with serious artistic intentions by someone who hopes to
enable readers to broaden understanding of life and to empathize with
others
 Literary writers are more like explorers who take us out into the midst
of life, show us the props and mirrors and seek to dispel the illusions.
 Provides keener awareness of our humanity in a friendly and hostile
world.
 Usually need to read twice.
 Plot: the sequence of events through which an author constructs a
story.
Structure: usually chronological or cause/effect, however, a complex
structure is often required to convey complex meanings, so it may be more
experimental and unpredictable.

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Interpreting and Evaluating Fiction

Fiction: The Story and the Moral

Fiction is Evocative: Images and Symbols

Interpretation: A Personal Understanding

Analyzing and Interpreting Fiction: Perspectives

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