Abraham Quote by Louis Auchincloss
“To most readers the word 'fiction' is an utter fraud. They are entirely convinced that each character has an exact counterpart in real life and that any small discrepancy with that counterpart is a simple error on the author's part. Consequently, they are totally at a loss if anything essential is altered. Make Abraham Lincoln a dentist, put the Gettysburg Address on his tongue, and nobody will recognize it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Literary Criticism, 1990s
Readers often mistake fiction for literal truth, demanding unrealistic realism from authors.
In simple terms: Readers expect fiction to mirror real life exactly.
Key Takeaway
Accept fiction’s imaginative nature.
Themes
literature
realism
expectations
Mood
frustrated
critical
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- creative writing classes
- literary analysis
- teaching literature
Key Concepts
fictional representation
authorial intent
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this expectation limit creative storytelling?
- What benefits arise from embracing fictional freedom?
A Different Perspective
Fiction cannot capture every nuance of reality.
![“I don't particularly care about having [my characters] talk realistically, that doesn't mean very much to me. Actually, a lot of people speak more articulately than some critics think, but before the 20th century it really didn't occur to many writers that their language had to be the language of…” quote by Louis Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6a0/louis-auchincloss-14878_20th-century_i-don-t-particularly-care-about-having-m_1290917.jpg)
![“Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not going to allow a con artist to take over the party of [Abraham] Lincoln and [Ronald] Reagan.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c6a/marco-rubio-355_abraham_donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nomi_14750.jpg)
