Python adding unwanted double quotes to a dictionary : <p>After passing a string into a function, Python is generating additional double quotes. For example:</p>

<pre><code>def main():
   ...
   foo("string1", "'string2','string3'")
   ...
def foo(var1, var2):
   dictionary = {
      'a' : var1,
      'b' : [var2]
   }
   print(dictionary)
</code></pre>

<p>I need var2 to be in square brackets for what comes next. The following is the output:</p>

<pre><code>{'a': 'string1', 'b': ["'string2','string3'"]}
</code></pre>

<p>How can the additional double quotes be removed so that <code>'b': ['string2','string3']</code>?</p>
