Uncertainty and Truth as a Literary Theme

Reading is an interactive experience. Authors create a story with the expectation that someone will read it. Most authors of fiction want to make the reader feel something as they experience the story: fear, happiness, dismay, joy, etc. They want to appeal to the reader in some way and offer a sort of escape from reality. In turn, the reader agrees to be manipulated, in a way, and believe what the story is telling them. Just like getting lost in a movie- even though you know you're sitting on your couch in your pajamas. The nature of truth within a fictional story can take many roles and can be affected by many things: · · It can be influenced on a character level depending on the point of view (POV), or who is telling the story. · This is where narrative style is important and whether or not we have a reliable narrator. Remember unreliable narrators often distort the truth. · It can be manipulated by the author and can reflect personal beliefs or the beliefs of a society. · So many times fiction is a reflection what a culture or society is going through in that moment. Civil war, political strife, feast or famine are all reflected in the literature being written during that time. · Stories can definitely be influenced by the personal beliefs or internal struggles of the author, which can affect the truth or purpose of a text. · Authors can also intentionally mislead readers by warping reality. There is an example of this below. · It can depend on the genre. · Is the story supposed to mirror reality? · Is it fantasy fiction set in a mystical place where the reader's perception of "real" or "true" is completely dependent on the story? · It can be a literary device: reality vs. illusion · This is a method authors use to trick the reader into one reality while something completely different is actually happening. · Authors will give clues that the action of the story isn't really happening. · An example of this would be Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". The story is told in three different sections: · In the first section, a soldier is about to be executed. · The second section is a long winded flash back.