Redeeming Fiction

The Globe and Mail published an article last week in defense of reading fiction; apparently, fiction and literature is good for your social skills. A study, which became the subject for the article, intimated that those who read frequently demonstrated more advanced social and communication skills. The reason given: literature sets up dialogue and other social exchanges from which the reader learns and uses to incorporate into actual social settings.

Assuming your choice in fiction is substantial, the thesis of the Globe’s article and supporting study seems reasonable. If you’re unsure of what might qualify, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ certainly would be a worthy benchmark.

Jane Austen is a renowned 19th century writer whose most prominent works include ‘Pride and Prejudice’ (c.1813), a tale that sets Elizabeth Bennett, an intelligent, witty, young woman as the heroine and Fitzwilliam Darcy as the uncannily real, yet often misunderstood, male protagonist.

A romance? I suppose, given that two weddings take place in the last chapter and the opening line of the book reads: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Yet the romantic element plays only a supporting role to the greater plot of the story, the exposure of true character contrasted with the prejudicial opinions formed on first encounters. Indeed, were all romance novels written with such quality and underlying substance, I venture to suggest that they would not be altogether useless as reading material.

The sheer quality of writing is enough to render this work nothing short of a pleasurable diversion. Austen’s character development, dialogue, and descriptive narrations are a true joy to read, mentally stimulating, provocative (in a pure, thoughtful sense; another blessing in older writing is that it is utterly clean), and satisfying.

Although this was my first Austen novel, it certainly will not be my last. Indeed, fiction of this calibre has redemptive value in that its dialogue and narrative can be absorbed and assimilated into intellectual reality, its content can be discussed with pleasure among others who have read it, and its characters actually expose real character traits from which the reader can gain piercing insight into humanity. In fact, the richness of the characters in this book can actually help one identify character strengths and flaws in their own life, and use that knowledge to enhance their own personal development.

In short, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ boasts superior entertainment that also has potential to make the reader a better person for having read it. This, and other similar works, hold the redeeming qualities that most of today’s fiction lacks and desperately needs.