Why is Fiction Important?
There are four main reasons that fiction has always been and will always be important to both individuals and to society as a whole. Those reasons are:
Fiction Teaches Empathy.
Before we get into whether fiction does or does not teach empathy, and why this is important, let's start with a simpler question. What is empathy?
According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, Empathy is:
According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, Empathy is:
[T]he action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this.
Why do we need empathy? Why would we want to be able to recognize the emotions of others, to understand what they are experiencing on an intellectual level? How does that help us?
To put it simply, empathy is one of the fundamental pieces that allows society to function. People with better-developed empathy tend to be less violent, less selfish, and more lawful than those with less-developed empathy; one of the most common definitions of "sociopath" is "a person completely devoid of empathy".
I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that we need empathy.
Now, onto the question of whether fiction can actually "teach" empathy. Is it possible that something as simple as reading can develop something so essential?
In the New York Times article "Your Brain On Fiction", Annie Murphy Paul describes research that suggests the answer. "Dr. Oatley and Dr. Mar, in collaboration with several other scientists, reported in two studies...that individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and see the world from their perspective."
'But what if it's the other way around?' you say. 'What if people with empathy already better-developed than average simply tend to read more?' Oh ho ho! Clever you! But science is one step ahead of you! In separate studies by Mathis Bal and Martijn Veltkamp, they actually gauged empathy levels before and after reading fiction. They found that not only did reading fiction increase empathy, but that the influence fiction had on empathy levels was directly proportionate to the level of transportation. So, the more you're sucked into a work of fiction as you read, the better it is for your empathy!
Which brings me to the second reason that fiction is important.
Fiction Offers Respite
Have you ever had a rough day? Got called into the office by your boss to be lectured about something that wasn't even your fault? Blanked on an exam after studying for it half the night? Had a flat tire in the rain? I bet you have. And when you got home, I bet you wanted nothing more than to sit back in a comfy chair, kick your feet up, and watch or read something to just forget about life for a couple of hours.
Fiction offers a brief escape from the real world, a chance to take a figurative breath and rest the mind in the same way that relaxing in a favorite chair rests the body. It's a natural reaction to the stresses of life. If you were to spend the entire day thinking about them, they'd erode your mind like water lapping at the beach.
This is controversially known as "escapism".
Controversially, I say, because there are many connotations attached to the term. In a speech for The Reading Agency, Neil Gaiman (pictured at the top of the page) speaks on these connotations.
Fiction offers a brief escape from the real world, a chance to take a figurative breath and rest the mind in the same way that relaxing in a favorite chair rests the body. It's a natural reaction to the stresses of life. If you were to spend the entire day thinking about them, they'd erode your mind like water lapping at the beach.
This is controversially known as "escapism".
Controversially, I say, because there are many connotations attached to the term. In a speech for The Reading Agency, Neil Gaiman (pictured at the top of the page) speaks on these connotations.
I hear [escapism] bandied about as if it's a bad thing. As if "escapist" fiction is a cheap opiate used by the muddled and the foolish and the deluded, and the only fiction that is worthy, for adults or for children, is mimetic fiction, mirroring the worst of the world the reader finds herself in. If you were trapped in an impossible situation, in an unpleasant place, with people who meant you ill, and someone offered you a temporary escape, why wouldn't you take it? And escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control, are with people you want to be with.
This is often the point those that decry fiction are most likely to argue. They argue that escapism is unhealthy and fosters a disconnect with the real world, and fails to teach us anything. Andrea Paterson mentions this in her article "In Defense of Fiction", when her father-in-law mentions feeling guilty for reading fiction for these same reasons. Paterson argues that fiction leads to a deeper understanding of reality by expressing truth through metaphor.
Gaiman takes the thought further. "[D]uring your escape, books can also give you knowledge about the world and your predicament, give you weapons, give you armour, real things you can take back into your prison. Skills and knowledge and tools you can use to escape for real."
I do agree that escapism can be taken too far; that escapism as a way of life can be damaging and unhealthy. But any coping mechanism, taken to its extreme, can be the same. If used correctly--and in correct dosage--escapism is not only healthy, but vital.
Fiction Reflects Society
What if mirrors didn't exist? And by that I mean, not just mirrors; any reflexive surface with which one can judge their own appearance. What if you had no idea what you looked like? You couldn't check to see if there was dirt on your face. You couldn't straighten your appearance by any other means than to ask the opinion of others. And as we all know, relying solely on the opinion of others to form one's opinion of oneself leads inevitably to disaster.
This is why reflection is essential to both everyday life and to long-term upkeep. It goes far beyond the physical. What if it was impossible to be introspective in any meaningful way? Sure, we'd get more done if we weren't wasting time navel gazing. But those actions wouldn't be planned or thoughtful. They'd be impulse-driven, knee-jerk reflexes like turning the steering wheel to avoid a squirrel. We'd all be running into trees and into lakes, so to speak.
We need to take time to think about ourselves, our place in the world, in the society we live in. We need that "mirror".
And fiction provides it.
In the post "Shared Nightmares: Horror Films and Society as Mirrors", Ronald Hogan describes the way in which Horror films and stories have reflected their times for decades. In the late forties and early fifties, we had the "Science gone wrong" and "Giant monster" genres of horror; these reflected our fear at the time, that for the first time in human history, we had the power to destroy the world. Later came movies such as "The Thing from Another World" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", stories about impostors, which were made during the Red Scare, when we were all afraid of the Communist who might live next door. And then we had "Dawn of the Dead," in which Romero used zombies as a metaphor for the dangers of consumerism.
This has been true for hundreds (likely thousands) of years. Horror has always been didactic. Frankenstein was about the dangers of playing God at a time when science was growing to be perceived as a threat to religion. Dracula reflected the dangers of sexuality. The same is true of Little Red Riding Hood, which is widely considered to be a warning against promiscuity. It's still true today; some of Stephen King's bestsellers are about the dangers of alcoholism and fear of a new plague.
But Horror isn't the only fiction that reflects society. Science Fiction, and Dystopian in particular, have a strong tendency to reflect our values, beliefs, and fears. The Hunger Games is the most recent example, reflecting concerns over the shallow, appearance-driven culture; the gap in lifestyle between the richest and poorest of peoples and the perception of regulations that keep this gap wide; the abuse of power; our fascination with violence; etc. However, the very existence of Dystopian fiction is a reaction to its times. For a long time, the prevailing prediction of the future was of silver spires and flying cars. "1984", "A Brave New World", "Fahrenheit 451"--these were peculiarities. Now they are the norm. What does that suggest about our society?
Does it suggest a less optimistic viewpoint of today's society as a whole?
Fantasy is well-known for examining real-world issues in unique ways. It has examined such heavy issues as prejudice, slavery, genocide, the morality of war, and the intricacies of governmental politics, just to name a few.
Even more direct examples of fiction reflecting society include "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", which examined race issues through the eyes of a child, and "The Grapes of Wrath", which spoke of the suffering of the farmers during The Great Depression.
The ability of fiction to reflect society allows us to examine society from many angles, with our own eyes. By allowing us to see our world, fiction also allows us to change our world. Perhaps it even provides the inspiration for that change. Which leads to the fourth point.
Fiction Influences Society
Now that we've discussed the ways in which fiction is influenced by (and reflects) society, let's talk about ways in which fiction has in turn influenced society.
The first to come to mind is "To Kill A Mockingbird". Certainly, it was not singlehandedly responsible for the Civil Rights movement, but there is no denying the discussions it started on race when it was first published, and in the many years after. Similarly, Star Trek had Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura, and there was more than one moment on that show that dropped the collective jaw of the country. And we can't forget "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which many say led in part to the Civil War.
"The Jungle", by Upton Sinclair is another interesting case. While it is often said by historians that "The Jungle" was meant to foster pro-socialist views in its readers, the biggest change this novel made was to convince the American public that more guidelines needed to be set for the meat packing industry. A famous quote from Sinclair is "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach".
On the "Discovery" website Curiosity, I found a number of interesting videos by scientists who are at the head of their field. They answered the question, "How does science fiction influence scientific research?" They answered by talking about scientists who were inspired by reading fiction as children, and who went on to discover technologies and form theories that have changed the way we see the world. They mention Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, both of which are famous for predicting the future with their fiction.
These are but a few of the many examples in which a work of fiction has changed, or helped to change, society.
Then there is the more personal side to the influence fiction has on society as a whole--that is, how it affects individual people who read it.
The first to come to mind is "To Kill A Mockingbird". Certainly, it was not singlehandedly responsible for the Civil Rights movement, but there is no denying the discussions it started on race when it was first published, and in the many years after. Similarly, Star Trek had Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura, and there was more than one moment on that show that dropped the collective jaw of the country. And we can't forget "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which many say led in part to the Civil War.
"The Jungle", by Upton Sinclair is another interesting case. While it is often said by historians that "The Jungle" was meant to foster pro-socialist views in its readers, the biggest change this novel made was to convince the American public that more guidelines needed to be set for the meat packing industry. A famous quote from Sinclair is "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach".
On the "Discovery" website Curiosity, I found a number of interesting videos by scientists who are at the head of their field. They answered the question, "How does science fiction influence scientific research?" They answered by talking about scientists who were inspired by reading fiction as children, and who went on to discover technologies and form theories that have changed the way we see the world. They mention Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, both of which are famous for predicting the future with their fiction.
These are but a few of the many examples in which a work of fiction has changed, or helped to change, society.
Then there is the more personal side to the influence fiction has on society as a whole--that is, how it affects individual people who read it.
I remember a really old book...I think I was in school...called "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry". Mildred D. Taylor, she is the author. And although her work was fiction, she tied in real world issues that I did not understand, such as the struggles black families faced. But she also showed that not all families were sharecroppers. Blacks were more than "help me" "help me" or "pity me", "pity me". There were dynamics to them and strength.
I received this response during an interview with author C.I. McKenzie.
Then there is the story that ran all over Facebook about Guardians of the Galaxy--or, more accurately, the autistic boy who finally found a hero he could relate with, in Drax the Destroyer. Drax can't do metaphors, you see, and this kid identified with the super-literal, superpowered spaceman. "So for the last 6 days I have heard my brother repeatedly quote all of the Drax lines from the movie verbatim (one of his talents), begin studying vocabulary test words, and tell everyone he knows that people with autism can also be superheroes."
There are thousands of stories of works of fiction encouraging children, teens, and yes, even adults, not to give in to despair, and to hold on to their hopes in the face of crushing opposition. Fiction can help the heart, mind, and spirit to grow. Fiction can inspire.
When fiction has the power to touch its readers in such a personal and powerful way, when it can influence the direction of an entire country and even inspire fields of science that change how we define the word, what else can you call it but important?
Then there is the story that ran all over Facebook about Guardians of the Galaxy--or, more accurately, the autistic boy who finally found a hero he could relate with, in Drax the Destroyer. Drax can't do metaphors, you see, and this kid identified with the super-literal, superpowered spaceman. "So for the last 6 days I have heard my brother repeatedly quote all of the Drax lines from the movie verbatim (one of his talents), begin studying vocabulary test words, and tell everyone he knows that people with autism can also be superheroes."
There are thousands of stories of works of fiction encouraging children, teens, and yes, even adults, not to give in to despair, and to hold on to their hopes in the face of crushing opposition. Fiction can help the heart, mind, and spirit to grow. Fiction can inspire.
When fiction has the power to touch its readers in such a personal and powerful way, when it can influence the direction of an entire country and even inspire fields of science that change how we define the word, what else can you call it but important?