The precise relationship between fiction and life has been debated extensively. Most modern critics agree that, whatever its apparent factual content or verisimilitude, fiction is finally to be regarded as a structured Imitation of life and should not be confused with a literal  　 of life itself. While fiction is a work of the imagination rather than  　 , it can also be based closely on real events, sometimes experienced by the author. In a work of fiction, the author is not the same  　 the narrator, the voice that tells the story. Authors maintain a distance from their characters. Sometimes that distance is obvious for instance, if a male writer tells a story from the point of view of a female character. Other times it is not so obvious, especially if we know something of the author's life and there are clear connections between the story and the author's life. The writer of fiction is free to choose his or her subject matter and is free to invent, select, and  　 fictional elements to  　 his or her purpose. The elements of fiction are the different components that make up a work of fiction. All literature explores a theme or significant truth expressed in various elements such as character, plot, setting, point of view, style, and tone that are essential and specific to each work of fiction. All of these elements bind a literary work into a consistent whole and give it unity. Understanding these elements can help.