Literature Adds To Reality

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“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become,” said C.S. Lewis, noted author. This quote, to me, is the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. Literature reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern times, in which the book To Kill a Mockingbird clearly does. Literature is defined as the body of written works of a language, period or culture, produced by scholars and researchers, specialized in a given field. Why is literature important? Well, let’s see as stated in the quotation by C.S. Lewis, literature not only describes reality but also adds to it. Yes, literature is not merely a depiction of reality; it is rather a value-addition. Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns and social norms prevalent in society. They are an illustration of the different facets of common man's life. Literary works serve as a food for thought and a tonic for imagination and creativity. Exposing an individual to good literary works, is equivalent to providing him/her with the finest of educational opportunities. On the other hand, the lack of exposure to literary works is equal to depriving an individual from an opportunity to grow as an individual. To Kill a Mockingbird provides its readers with the ‘finest of educational opportunities’ and that is why it is an important literary work. Harper Lee’s book is a powerful literary work because of the following literary devices employed: Setting, Allegory, and point of view. However before one can dissect the devices used, one must h...

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...s have already become,” said C.S. Lewis. This quote supports my paper because To Kill a Mockingbird is basically the novel of turning the injust into the unjust, the hatred into love, and the scarcity into bravery. The novel also explains and describes the life back in the 1930s which refers back to the quote.

Work Cited

• Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York City: J.B. Lippincott, 1960. Print.

• "Enotes." www.enotes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar 2011. .

• "Sparknote." www.sparknote.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar 2011. .

• "Pediaview." www.Pediaview.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar 2011. .

• "Enotes." www.enotes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar 2011. .

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