The Expression of Truth

        There are many ways to communicate truth, and both fact and fantasy can express reality. Often credited as objective fact, news reports, even erroneous ones, shape peoples’ view of the world. Fictional literature is often dismissed as stories that are disconnected from the real world, yet these impossible tales address reality in another way. Although it can seem like fictional literature is unlike reality, fictional literature can be more real than the news people read because it can comment on reality and because news reports themselves are not always factual.

        To some people, works of fiction seem to have little in common with the world they live in. These stories can be set in far off lands with fantastic characters and unbelievable powers that stretch one’s imagination. J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and George Lucas’ Star Wars are both examples of fictional works set in another world with fantastic elements. It can be hard to relate to these stories, as the quests undertaken by the protagonists are often on an epic scale, so these works of fiction sometimes stay in the realm of the imaginary and are seen as simple stories written to entertain. Fictional stories, however, are so much more than this and can be a way of commenting on society’s timeless truths. 
        Fictional literature can be used to convey authors’ reflections on reality. This characteristic makes fiction more tangible and allows it to teach real lessons to its audience. In “The Birthmark,” one lesson that Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about is the consequences of greed. Aylmer, gifted with an incredible mastery of alchemy, and a beautiful wife, eventually loses the love of his life because of his greed. His insatiable nature, witnessed many times throughout the short story, blinds him from his wife’s beauty and consumes his heart with an unfulfillable desire. Aylmer’s efforts to improve his wife through alchemy result in her death at his hands. A moving tale, “The Birthmark” teaches its readers the reality of greed through a fictional story. Fictional literature allows authors to convey, without needing real examples, their reflections on reality.
        News reports are intended to educate people about reality as well, yet sometimes they do just the opposite. News reports are susceptible to error and when falsehoods are reported, can quickly convince many people to believe fallacies. Worst of all, erroneous reports are not uncommon. In 2012, both Fox News and CNN initially reported that the Supreme Court struck down Obamacare. Next year in 2013 these same stations reported erroneously that a suspect for the Boston Marathon Bombing had been arrested two days after the attack; the FBI corrected these news stations later. Some false news reports are even humorous and one local news channel once reported that the iPhone 5 would have a “laser keyboard and holographic images." Clearly, news reports are not always factual and are sometimes a poor representation of reality.
        Both news reports and fictional literature influence peoples’ view of the world. Although it can seem like fictional literature is dissimilar to the real world, works of fiction can be more real than the news people read because they can convey reflections on reality and because news reports themselves are not always reliable. The commonality of false news reports shows that news reports are not the infallible conveyors of truth many people believe them to be. Works of fiction, too, do more than some people believe they can, allowing authors, without a tangible example, to convey their reflections on reality. It seems as if the means are irrelevant; fact and fiction are both ways for people to express truth.