Function of a Fiction Writer

In “An End to Audience?”, Margaret Atwood discusses the responsibilities of fiction writers. She believes that the function of a fiction writer is to examine society in ways “through which we can see ourselves and the ways in which we behave towards each other” (17). Another responsibility for an artist is to speak out the forbidden and be the voice of the powerless. These theories can be applied to the short stories of “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Hecker and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker.
For instance, In “The Stolen Party”, Liliana Hecker depicts a typical stereotype barrier between two socio-economic groups: the rich upper class and the poor lower class. In this particular story, Rosaura is treated differently because of her social economic status. According to Atwood, fiction writers should be a “guardian of moral and ethical sense in a community” (17). In this short story, the author conveys the moral and ethical values of the two classes. Som...