Fictions hold a crucial role in helping humans look at their lives in a better view. They go a long way in helping one look into the complications of life. Not just that, they also pitch in by stimulating emotions. They are a part of human civilization and growth. Education also basks in the light of realization with fiction.

Books cherish the power of capturing human hearts. They come with different themes to strike a chord with humans. Their background also helps them make the best of their leisure. Adding to their narrative, they also celebrate themselves as best friends of humans. No matter what bothers one, they can go ahead to find solace. Not just that, people from all age groups also rely on their magic to live their time. Therefore, it is not a surprise to find libraries celebrating books and their readers. However, fictions shimmer in a distinct light to churn human emotions and civilization.  

It was in 2003 when one reader was seeing the US invading Iraq. During that time, newspapers were carrying headlines about war. The perturbing war articles began to shroud their mind. It was then they came across Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. At that time, the US invaded Fallujah. Therefore, time was germane for them to read the novel.      

The war story managed to invoke a wave of emotions in their heart. They could feel the pain of destruction and losing loved ones. It went a long way in shedding light on the despicable fronts of the war.

Therefore, one can say fiction stands out for helping one align one’s emotions with human suffering. In her article (Sitting Still and Reading: Rethinking the Role of Literary Fiction in Civics Education), Annie Schultz stressed the need to pair civil practices with literature. Taking on that part, “reading and thinking can become emancipatory activities.”

Not just that, fictions also add to their case by helping readers become more open-minded. They also churn empathy and compassion for hearts to a great extent. The struggling time of the pandemic highlights that front in the best way. During that harrowing phase, books evolved as heart-winning companions. Adding to that, they also go a long way in evoking appreciation and awareness.

Grounding their narrative, they also pitch in for unveiling rejuvenating perspective. According to Canadian cognitive psychologist Keith Oatley, neural mechanisms work effectively. They let one see the fictional narrative in line with real-life episodes.      

Moving ahead, one can also cherish the reader’s intimate relationship with a fictional narrator. Taking on that way, one can overcome depression and loneliness to a great extent. That helps in translating “the inner lives of oppressed characters outward.”

One group of researchers also argued, “(By) reading the written work of others, you enter their minds. In coming to terms with the mind of another, you can come to better discover your own.”

Not just that, Schultz also said, “We do not ask students to limit their thinking to that which is acceptable within the languages and systems in place but, rather, to narrate their own histories and selves as a way to create themselves and society by extension.”

The authors of a white paper (2017) by the National Academies of Science shared, “If there is doubt about the value of narrative… to national security, it only takes one look beneath the events displayed in the daily news…: somewhere prior to the action garnering international attention, communication happened that resonated with an audience, who found more reasons to act than not.”