When people focus on fiction, they often focus on the sociopolitical commentary embedded within them. Short stories, as the argument goes, offer a space for social and political change, and, when their messages are heeded, they offer an opportunity for personal and political growth. Indeed, we’ve been reading this way, looking at the way texts make social and/or political commentary (in Essays 1 and 2). Seriously reading fiction hones your critical thinking skills, your focus, your knowledge of the world. All of this is irrefutable, of course, and fiction should be read for these academic, personal, and professional benefits.
