Friday, April 5, 2013

Current Literature: A Case For Clean Fiction

So, I had to write an essay for school. At first, I had trouble trying to figure out what to write about, but I finally figured it out. I decided I'd write something that has been on my heart for a while now. Please, forgive any typos or poor grammar. I kind of wrote it in a rush. :)

“Current Literature: A Case for Clean Fiction”
 An essay by
 Brian McBride
       So much fiction these days is overwhelmed with unnecessary impurities. Not just by non-Christian fiction writers, but by Christian writers who believe words are just that – words – as well.
    Why do authors feel that they need to dilute their fiction with various impure trends? For instance, an author who writes something such as “get it your own **** self” could just as well write “get it yourself” and have it be just as believable. Why do they place unnecessary adage that only pushes some readers away, when they can write with cleanliness and draw even more readers in? It’s a matter of the heart.
    I believe that literature mirrors the condition of the heart. What one writes will show what one believes.
    Other such impurities that authors place in their writing because they feel it makes their works more “realistic” is sexual immorality.
    More and more fiction these days is flooded with pungent sexual relations and disgusting synopsis. They claim they do this to provide entertainment for a select audience, yet half of said audience refuses to read such material in order to take a stand against fictional immorality.
    Most people don’t pay attention to the urgency of morality in fiction, Christian or not. They are too busy preaching against non-fictional immorality. Most people do not realize the affect fiction and reading has on the rising generation. As the Bible says, “what goes into the heart will come out”. Most parents don’t pay attention to what their children are reading. They say “If they read immoral books then they are getting a taste of the reality to come”. They do not realize that they are paving the way for future convicts, gangbangers, teen parents, and disrespectful people to take over the world.
    And what about fiction that is clean? Well, yes, clean fiction is popular enough. But clean fiction is pretty much written by Christians (Catholics, Mennonites, and others of similar faiths not excluded). Even Christians of this current generation seem to turn more to stuff that entertains them rather than stuff that is spiritually and personally edifying.
    Sin is seeping into fiction today – it has been for decades! – and it’s time to rise up, take a stand and say “No more!”

Thanks for reading! Any input is always welcome!

God bless,
Brian
 

3 comments:

  1. While I agree that most fiction has unnecessary swearing, I also think there are settings where the absence of swearing feels unrealistic--military settings, inner-city neighborhoods. What it comes down to sometimes is "does it fit the character?" And if the character swears a lot, is that the most effective way to show the condition of his heart?

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    1. I agree that swearing makes things more realistic. But there are still alternatives that can help ensure cleanliness in novels. For example, instead of using the word or phrase itself, you could say, "He cursed under his breath"; "He swore loudly"; "She uttered a vulgar term"; etc...

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  2. I just want to thank you for posting that! I too am fed up with all of this showing up in modern literature! I meaning even excluding language and inappropriate such things it has seemed to become popular to make scoundrels, murders, and cold hearted scum out of our heroes!
    It was also heartening for me since I am currently at work on a fiction about soldiers and the military. I'm sure you know of the drastic amount of language found in anything having to do with men in the military, but I'm not really going to do that now am I!
    Again thanks for writing this! It's nice to know someone else feels the same! :)

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