1
What does
What does this quote mean? I’m in desperate need of help.
“The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction cannot so readily be achieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable than with fact. Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges; hence the conclusion of such a narration is apt to be less finished than an architectural finial.” – (“Billy Budd, Sailor” by Herman Melville)
The quote says that the closer a work of fiction strives for reality, the less refined the form of writing becomes. Reality, by its very nature, follows no formalized dramatic curve. The more your writing describes real life, the less likely it will or should observe traditional methods and designs of storytelling, instead possessing many loose ends that will never be cleaned up.