The Line Between Fact and Fiction

Did Justin Bieber really save a Russian man from being mauled by a bear?

The line between fact and fiction can sometimes be a blurry one. With news stations stretching the truth or even completely making it up, it can be difficult to tell what is a reliable source or not. For instance, a news story that appeared on many media outlets had the headline “Justin Bieber Saves Man from Bear Attack.” These articles claimed that a Russian man was being mauled by a bear when his cellphone went off playing his ringtone which was reportedly  Justin Bieber’s song “Baby.” The articles claim that the shrill voice of Bieber was enough to scare the bear away, saving the man’s life. While this story has some believable qualities, (like the fact that the bear was not a Bieber fan) it appears that this story was in fact a hoax. It first appeared on a questionable news site, and then other sites took the story and ran with it. This suggests that half of the time the news we read is true and the other half it is false. Similar to this, most fictional short stories have elements that are factual. For instance, the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London seemingly contains the same amount of factual evidence as the news story. It takes place in a real location, accurately describes the events that occur there, and depicts real and relatable human emotions.

An aspect of “To Build a Fire” that adds to its accuracy is it’s location. The story takes place along the Yukon trail, which is an actual place. Not only does this place exist, but the story accurately describes the setting, “The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice. on tip of this ice were as many feet of snow” (London). The man in the story is trekking through bitter subzero weather, reaching -75 degrees. This description of the frigid weather that  is typical in this region adds fact to the tale. It also gives specific landmarks, including “Henderson Creek” and “Indian Creek country.” These precise details add more and more truth to what is a fictional story.

Aside from the accurate setting, the storyline could also be factual. The man is heading towards a mining camp where his buddies await him, “He would be in to camp by six o’clock; a bit after dark, it was true, but the boys would be there, a fire would be going, and a hot supper would be ready” (London). This believable and plausible story adds another element of fact to what is a fictional story.

Lastly, the story touches on real human emotion. The thoughts that go through the man’s head could be real. For instance, when he realizes that he is about to die from overexposure to the cold in the middle of nowhere, feelings of dread sink in, “... he was aware of the panicky feeling that it caused, and he was afraid of the panic. But the thought asserted itself, and persisted, until it produced a vision of his body totally frozen” (London). Every thought that goes through his head makes the story more relatable, and therefore believable.

Interestingly enough, a story can still be fiction even if it is entirely made up of fact. This is the case for “To Build a Fire.” While the events that occur in the story and the feelings that are described are completely plausible, the story is made up. The same can be said for news articles. While the article where Justin Bieber saves the life of the Russian Man was reported to be a hoax, some elements are still true. The man was attacked by a bear, but the detail regarding his Justin Bieber ringtone turns out to be fabricated. Most of the time a vague storyline can be factual, but it’s up to the details to add or subtract more truth.