From: aw3a+@andrew.cmu.edu (Anatole Wilson)
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: Re: Theme~moral
Date: 23 Nov 92 05:39:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.Uf4DgyC00UhB41xK9F
Organization: Masters student, English, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

>I may be wrong about this, but I don't see
>a difference between morality and theme.  A story with a theme is one that
>tries to leave an underlining message ~ subliminal message for the reader
>to grasp and apply (e.g. love conquers all, etc.).  Morality in fiction is
>not really any different. 

In my mind, a theme is merely an organizing principle. If you want to
say that the organizing principle must be biased, and therefore reflects
the morals of the writer (or at least the characters in the story), than
you've probably got me there. 

>  Plain and simple when
>someone attempts to subvert a story with their own ideas of morality, then
>they are playing god with the mind of the reader.  Because morality in the
>story is so subtle, it is subliminal and therefore, dangerous.  A means of
>invoking thoughts and prejudices, love and hate, right and wrong, but who
>among any writer has that responsibility.

I might argue that this is a blessing and a curse, and that every writer
*must* consider themselves to have that responsibility if they're going
to write anything that's going to have meaning to others. It is the
power of writing to influence others that makes it so wonderful. 
Personally, I'd rather have a well-written piece of propaganda (and make
up my own mind about the writer's--and my own--values) than a story that
rambles with no coherent plot because the writer didn't want to "play
God" and put his or her own life experiences into the writing. (Let me
qualify this by saying I do see a value in "slice of life" vignettes,
but I regard them as photographs, and don't enjoy a steady diet of
them.) 
    When I write a story, I think I have one underlying theme--How has
the main character (or characters) changed by the end of the story? The
evnets in the story may change the life and attitudes of the character
dramatically, or no change at all may have occurred. I would argue that
this is a theme without an underlying moral, though it certainly leaves
room for morality within any individual storyline.
    By the way, I have more respect for my readers than to think that my
writing will fill the void in their lives and make them mindless
me-clones.

>   A story is just that.  Nothing more than one persons idea of reality or
>un-reality (i.e. lack of reality).  High school english or college writing,
>it doesn't matter, but wherever theme is taught it is an abuse of mankinds
>free choice.  The freedom to choose what is moral or not, the freedom to
>decide for themselves what is morality and what is immoral.  To write a
>moralistic theme into a story is equlivent to artistic incest.  Think
>about it.

How can anyone choose what is moral or not (or make any other choice) if
they're not informed about what the choices are? Writing--whether it is
expository or fictional, is communication. I invest a bit of myself into
every story, and try to be truthful about the characters. Sometimes the
characters will reflect my perceptions of reality, sometimes the
characters will be far removed from my own point of view. That's my
freedom as a writer. It's the freedom of every reader to choose what
they want to read, and decide whether the author has insight or is just
blowing steam.

By the way, what exactly is "artistic incest?" I don't understand what's
sleeping with what.

Just my less-than-humble-because-after-all-I-DO-enjoy-playing-God opinion,



Anatole Wilson                  "If anyone objects to anything I say,
-----------------                I am prepared not only to retract it,
                                 But to deny under oath that I ever said it
                                 in the first place."