Can a Fictional Story Have a Connection to Reality?

[Treasure Hunter]

If your answer is yes, then by what means do fictional stories connect to reality?

If your answer is no, then my next question is:
Can a fictional story contain wisdom?

 

[ChristineM]

I voted yes because i have visited Hogwarts (Alnwick castle)

And even though my answer is yes, there is a lot of wisdom in for example the Discworld books.

 

[Polymath257]

Yes, a fictional story can have a *connection* to reality.

For example, the stories about Sherlock Holmes are fictional, but take place in 19th century London, which is a real place.

Many fictional stories take place in real locations and describe the thinking of the times in correct ways.

And yes, a fictional story can contain wisdom. In fact, that is what happens in much of the best literature.

And, if the fictional story is acknowledged as a fictional story, there is not too much of a problem. It is when the fictional story is seen as true or more important than reality (think religion or fandom) that things begin to get bad.

 

[exchemist]

If your answer is yes, then by what means do fictional stories connect to reality?

If your answer is no, then my next question is:
Can a fictional story contain wisdom?

Parable, allegory, example....and without any of these, fiction can say things about the real world through the characters and events depicted.

 

[sun rise]

Fiction can be based on a true story - that's quite common.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Yes, a fictional story can have a *connection* to reality.

For example, the stories about Sherlock Holmes are fictional, but take place in 19th century London, which is a real place.

Many fictional stories take place in real locations and describe the thinking of the times in correct ways.

And yes, a fictional story can contain wisdom. In fact, that is what happens in much of the best literature.

And, if the fictional story is acknowledged as a fictional story, there is not too much of a problem. It is when the fictional story is seen as true or more important than reality (think religion or fandom) that things begin to get bad.

Can a fictional story with a setting outside of world history and geography have a connection to reality?

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Parable, allegory, example....and without any of these, fiction can say things about the real world through the characters and events depicted.

Do the actions of fictional characters have a connection to reality? If so, through what means?

 

[Polymath257]

Can a fictional story with a setting outside of world history and geography have a connection to reality?

Sure, a science fiction story about a planet orbiting another star can talk about a real star and even a verified planet while still being fictional. All of the characters can be made up while the location can be a real place.

I'm finding these questions rather trivial to answer and am wondering what the point is. There is a LOT of literature that has been written over the last 5000 years, much of it fictional and still mentioning real events, places, people, etc. Some of it even contains wisdom and deep thinking about common human issues.

That is one of the values of literature: it isn't tied to reality and so can investigate things in ways a purely non-fictional treatment cannot.

But it is important to realize the difference between fiction and reality nonetheless.

 

[Polymath257]

Do the actions of fictional characters have a connection to reality? If so, through what means?

Yes, they can take place in real locations, with real events as the background.

The term 'connection' is very general and allows for a LOT of leeway.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Sure, a science fiction story about a planet orbiting another star can talk about a real star and even a verified planet while still being fictional. All of the characters can be made up while the location can be a real place.

I'm finding these questions rather trivial to answer and am wondering what the point is. There is a LOT of literature that has been written over the last 5000 years, much of it fictional and still mentioning real events, places, people, etc. Some of it even contains wisdom and deep thinking about common human issues.

That is one of the values of literature: it isn't tied to reality and so can investigate things in ways a purely non-fictional treatment cannot.

But it is important to realize the difference between fiction and reality nonetheless.

Yes, this is becoming tedious, but it seems necessary. Can a fictional story set in an imaginary location with made up characters and made up events have a connection to reality?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

If your answer is yes, then by what means do fictional stories connect to reality?

Many are allegories. Star Trek's Federation and Klingons were America and the Soviet Union. Game of Thrones Starks and Lannisters were the Yorks and Lancasters. Lord of the Flies demonstrated how quickly civilization can deteriorate and symbolized two traditions in psychology and politics that we see today. Handmaid's Tale. The Sopranos. Both based in reality and relevant issues, but fictional.

 

[Polymath257]

Yes, this is becoming tedious, but it seems necessary. Can a fictional story set in an imaginary location with made up characters and made up events have a connection to reality?

I guess it could involve the analysis of real emotions.

Again, the term 'connection' is very general. Is it a 'connection to reality' that it is written down on a real page? or carried by real electrons to another screen?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Even if fictional stories are not based on real events or people, or take place in real locations -- even if they're not here on earth -- they can still connect to reality. This is because the reader, who IS always a real person, can contemplate the situations described and evaluate for themselves how they feel about them. This then can have a direct bearing on their own very real lives in some other situation.

Many people here who have read my posts know that I frequently mention Shakespeare's plays and characters, drawing inferences from those situations that inform my own morality. (Or perhaps my own morality informs how I understand the stories, but it doesn't matter which way that happens, the end result is to help strengthen my own moral precepts.)

And that, I think, answers the OP's second question, can fictional stories provide wisdom -- yes, of course they can.

And this brings us to stories told in religious works -- for example the Book of Job we're discussing in another thread. Religious people are often surprised at how well non-believers know the stories of the Bible, but they shouldn't be. Anybody who likes to read can enjoy reading a lot of the Bible (not all of it, though...those endless "begats" can cause hardening of the cerebral arteries!).

But we always caution: they are still stories, they are not to be taken as real. But if they are thought about carefully, they can indeed provide wisdom. Just, sometimes, not the wisdom the original author may have been hoping for. That is, we may find the story to be an interesting piece on how the writers thought about their deities, but it may also be a terrible example of merely human moral behaviour.

And learning that can be wise, too.

 

[KWED]

If your answer is yes, then by what means do fictional stories connect to reality?

Obviously they can. Many novels are based around real people and events. There is a whole genre that is based the idea (historical fiction).

Can a fictional story contain wisdom?

What do you mean by "contain wisdom"?

 

[Treasure Hunter]

I guess it could involve the analysis of real emotions.

Again, the term 'connection' is very general. Is it a 'connection to reality' that it is written down on a real page? or carried by real electrons to another screen?

So if you are watching a movie like Star Wars, then you would say that the only things ‘real’ about it are the words they are using, the material of the clothes they are wearing, the analysis of the emotions? But you would consider nothing real about the story?

 

[KWED]

Yes, this is becoming tedious, but it seems necessary.

Why?

Can a fictional story set in an imaginary location with made up characters and made up events have a connection to reality?

What do you mean by "a connection to reality" in this context?

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Even if fictional stories are not based on real events or people, or take place in real locations -- even if they're not here on earth -- they can still connect to reality. This is because the reader, who IS always a real person, can contemplate the situations described and evaluate for themselves how they feel about them. This then can have a direct bearing on their own very real lives in some other situation.

Many people here who have read my posts know that I frequently mention Shakespeare's plays and characters, drawing inferences from those situations that inform my own morality. (Or perhaps my own morality informs how I understand the stories, but it doesn't matter which way that happens, the end result is to help strengthen my own moral precepts.)

And that, I think, answers the OP's second question, can fictional stories provide wisdom -- yes, of course they can.

And this brings us to stories told in religious works -- for example the Book of Job we're discussing in another thread. Religious people are often surprised at how well non-believers know the stories of the Bible, but they shouldn't be. Anybody who likes to read can enjoy reading a lot of the Bible (not all of it, though...those endless "begats" can cause hardening of the cerebral arteries!).

But we always caution: they are still stories, they are not to be taken as real. But if they are thought about carefully, they can indeed provide wisdom. Just, sometimes, not the wisdom the original author may have been hoping for. That is, we may find the story to be an interesting piece on how the writers thought about their deities, but it may also be a terrible example of merely human moral behaviour.

And learning that can be wise, too.

So a real person can derive wisdom from a fictional story to improve their lives in the real world, but the actual story part of the fictional story is not real in any way? Do I have that correct?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

So a real person can derive wisdom from a fictional story to improve their lives in the real world, but the actual story part of the fictional story is not real in any way? Do I have that correct?

Yes, you have that correctly. Think of it as the author setting up a "thought experiment" for you to consider (which by the way is how Einstein worked through a lot of Relativity).

 

[SomeRandom]

Yes, this is becoming tedious, but it seems necessary. Can a fictional story set in an imaginary location with made up characters and made up events have a connection to reality?

Yes. Take Lord of the Rings for example. A high fantasy novel (or trilogy, depending on who you ask.)
It’s set in a place called Middle Earth, which sure is entirely fictional. But it’s a place that was made specifically as something that could have existed in our own history books. That was intentional by the author. It’s story, specifically Sam and Frodo’s friendship, is largely informed by Tolkien’s real life experiences in WWI and trench warfare.

It’s even based off Tolkien's love of real life classical literature. Like Beowulf and arguably Middle Ages literature. With its medieval like setting, customs and even how the various societies are set up. For example Men are bound to oaths of allegiance, swear fealty and loyalty to noble bloodlines and aspire to be courageous, chivalrous and honourable. Much like how our own medieval societies used to function (or at least claimed to.)

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Yes, you have that correctly. Think of it as the author setting up a "thought experiment" for you to consider (which by the way is how Einstein worked through a lot of Relativity).

So then, for you, the unreal, on non-real, can effect reality?