Commercial Fiction Purpose = To entertain ($$) Escape tedium and stress of life Like inventors or magicians -- full of tricks and surprises Readers’ expectations: Sympathetic hero(ine) that reader identifies with and shares triumphs Defined plot with strong element of suspense Happy ending Theme affirms conventional views of the world
Literary Fiction Purpose = artistic to broaden, deepen, and sharpen reader’s awareness of life Pleasure + understanding Illuminates some aspect of human behavior with genuine originality and power Like explorers -- dispel illusions (“Look here at the world in all its complexity”) Presents insight into the nature and condition of human experience Readers’ expectations: Expect the unexpected: style, form, theme May challenge or change world view