All forms of expression are inherently rhetorical. In terms of writing, regardless of whether the work is poetry, fiction, or nonfiction whether it is a biography, a novel, or short story, the author is making a public argument. Fictional writing, unlike others, provides authors with almost limitless opportunities to promote a public argument because all aspects of the story are fair game to be altered. The author is able to tailor the characters, plot, symbols, and themes to their desired message. This message, however, doesn't necessarily have to be explicitly stated and it likely won't be. However, all works without question will have a public argument in it.
In my opinion, fiction is as good a place as any to make a public argument. With nonfiction, the truth must be followed. For example, if an author chooses to write a book advocating principles of the Democratic Party through the person Barack Obama, there are definitely aspects of his life that wouldn't follow. Reality limits where an argument can be taken. There are factors out of the hands of the author, which in fiction would never happen. The author has complete control over every aspect. Every single word written, plot step, and character can be made to aide the public argument of the author.
Any work of fiction can be pointed to as an example of an author making a public argument. Whether it be an old proverb such as The Boy who Cried Wolf or The Tortoise and the Hare or a newer work it doesn't matter. The author or story teller is making some sort of public argument. It can be a moral life lesson such as in the previous two examples or an informative message or a persuasive action-evoking argument. Many times, the most effective of arguments can be made in the sphere of fictional writing.
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You point out many of the benefits of fiction as it pertains to public argument, and I would agree with each and every one of them. Unlike non-fiction the author is free to start with his or her specific argument and shape the rest of the story around that particular argument or set of arguments. With non-fiction the author must take objective facts and work with only what he has, however when writing a piece of fiction he or she can create a character to specifically fit any role the author needs. The author is free to build a character which will best help him or her to make the argument he or she is trying to make. The ability to create characters also allows the author to develop characters his or her audience can relate to on an emotional level. Not only are the characters in fiction developed to support the authors claim, all aspects of the plot, settings, and symbols can also be created to fit perfectly with the public argument the author is trying to make.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many benefits to using fiction to make a public argument, fiction as a genre has many limitations. The effectiveness of a piece of fiction depends entirely on the author’s ability to use the endless possibilities he or she has to make the argument he or she is intending to make along with the audience’s ability to understand and pick out each small detail the author can and should use. The author’s intended argument may be perceived in a completely different way than he or she intended if the author does not possess the ability to integrate the right details to his or her characters, plot, and settings. Not only does the effectiveness of a piece of fiction weigh heavily on the author’s ability, it also depends on the audience’s ability to recognize and understand small details the author should be using. If the audience is incapable of identifying these details, much of what the author is trying to say will be lost, and the piece of fiction may not be seen as a public argument but merely as an entertaining story. People in today’s society are reading less for a variety of reasons which ultimately hinders their ability to pick up on small details the author of a piece of fiction is sure to use. Although leisure reading has unfortunately been on the decline, fiction can still be used in other forms to make a public argument. With the advances in technology authors aren’t limited to making an argument on paper in the form of a novel. Today they can use the same endless possibilities to create a movie to make the public argument they are intending to make. More people are heading to the movie theatre today instead of sitting down and reading a novel. It may not be entirely the same but authors can and should use these newer resources to keep up with the direction society is heading in.