What IS the difference between Literature and Fiction?
From “A Study of the Types of Literature” by Mabel Irene Rich, published 1949:
The Aim of True Literature.—Literature in its wider meaning includes everything that has been expressed through the written or printed page. In its narrow or restricted sense, however, it has a special object to serve. That object is not only to give pleasure to the reader through the expression of true and beautiful thoughts in fitting language, but also to fire the imagination and arouse noble, unselfish emotions. True literature is thus concerned with the needs of our higher natures.
Division of Literature.—True literature is divided into two great classes: Poetry and prose.
For the purposes of this essay, I will address only prose literature.
Prose can be broken down into 6 major areas:
1. Drama
2. Essay
3. Fiction (Not to exclude all the genre fiction.)
4. Biography and Autobiography
5. Letters, Diaries, Journals
6. Other Prose Forms
Fiction is broken down into:
And Other Prose Forms is further broken down into:
And for the further purpose of defining the “difference” between Literature and Fiction, I will be continuing this discussion in regard to item 3 alone. Most of us “know” the difference – or so we think – but how do we define it?
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