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Verisimilitude is a philosophical concept that refers to characters or events in a story that appears to be life-like, or believable. This concept is achieved by a writer, or storyteller, when he presents striking details which lend an air of authenticity to a tale (Beckson).
Verisimilitude is a philosophical concept that refers to characters or events in a story that appears to be life-like, or believable. This concept is achieved by a writer, or storyteller, when he presents striking details which lend an air of authenticity to a tale (Beckson).<ref name=Ref2/>


== Verisimilitude (Example) ==
== Verisimilitude (Example) ==
An example of the term, verisimilitude, would be if an author writes about a man who falls off a cliff and he dies, it is believable. It is logical that a person can believe an event or character in a fiction story is real so, a story can have a degree of verisimilitude in fiction stories as well as non-fiction stories, as long as the reader feels that it is real (Wheeler). Note that even fantasy novels and science fiction stories that discuss impossible events can have verisimilitude if the reader is able to read them with suspended disbelief (Eagleton). To say that a work has a high degree of verisimilitude means that the work is very realistic and believable--it is "true to life" (Harris).
An example of the term, verisimilitude, would be if an author writes about a man who falls off a cliff and he dies, it is believable. It is logical that a person can believe an event or character in a fiction story is real so, a story can have a degree of verisimilitude in fiction stories as well as non-fiction stories, as long as the reader feels that it is real (Wheeler). Note that even fantasy novels and science fiction stories that discuss impossible events can have verisimilitude if the reader is able to read them with suspended disbelief (Eagleton). To say that a work has a high degree of verisimilitude means that the work is very realistic and believable--it is "true to life" (Harris).
 
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==Works Cited==
==Works Cited==


<references>


*<ref name=Ref1> Dr. L. Wheeler, Kip. "Verisimilitude."  ''Literary Terms and Definitions:V.''  1998-2003. <http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/wheeler/lit_terms_V.html>
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* Dr. L. Wheeler, Kip. "Verisimilitude."  ''Literary Terms and Definitions:V.''  1998-2003. <http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/wheeler/lit_terms_V.html>
*<ref name=Ref2> Cuddon, J.A. "Verisimilitude." The Penguin Dictionary Of Literary Terms and Literary Theory fourth edition. 1976,1977,1979,1991,1998.
 
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*Cuddon, J.A. "Verisimilitude." The Penguin Dictionary Of Literary Terms and Literary Theory fourth edition. 1976,1977,1979,1991,1998.


*Cuddon, J.A.  Penguin Books, London. "Verisimilitude."  Bibliography: ''A Dictionary of Literary Terms'', 1977 [http://www.senri.ed.jp/Departments/english/littrms.htm]
*<ref name=Ref3> Cuddon, J.A.  Penguin Books, London. "Verisimilitude."  Bibliography: ''A Dictionary of Literary Terms'', 1977 [http://www.senri.ed.jp/Departments/english/littrms.htm]
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*Harris, Robert. "Verisimilitude."  ''A Glossary of Literary Terms.''      22May1997.[http://home.cfl.rr.com/eghsap/apterms.html]
*<ref name=Ref4> Harris, Robert. "Verisimilitude."  ''A Glossary of Literary Terms.''      22May1997.[http://home.cfl.rr.com/eghsap/apterms.html]
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*Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. "Verisimilitude." ''Merriam-Webster's Encylopedia of Literature'' 1995
*<ref name=Ref5> Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. "Verisimilitude." ''Merriam-Webster's Encylopedia of Literature'' 1995
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*Mifflin, Houghton. "Verisimilitude." ''Webster’s II New College Dictionary.'' 2001,1999,1995
*<ref name=Ref6> Mifflin, Houghton. "Verisimilitude." ''Webster’s II New College Dictionary.'' 2001,1999,1995
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*Eagleton, Terry. "Verisimiltude."  ''Literary Theory: An Introduction.''  1983
*<ref name=Ref7> Eagleton, Terry. "Verisimiltude."  ''Literary Theory: An Introduction.''  1983
[http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_V.html]
[http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_V.html]
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*Beckson, Karl and Arthur Ganz. "Verisimiltude."  ''Literary Terms: A Dictionary''.  1975
*<ref name=Ref8> Beckson, Karl and Arthur Ganz. "Verisimiltude."  ''Literary Terms: A Dictionary''.  1975
[http://www.masconomet.org/teachers/trevenen/litterms.htm]
[http://www.masconomet.org/teachers/trevenen/litterms.htm]
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