The Value of Literature

The Educated Imagination discusses major ideas that answer the question “what good is the study of literature?”. Frye does so by discussing concepts such as the desire of humans to connect to nature, the conformity to conventions and deviation from reality in literature, and the ideal manner in which literature should be taught. Northrop Frye’s The Educated Imagination proposes the idea that through the consumption of literature, the individual is able to develop an imagination which allows him to connect to society from an educated perspective.

Literature teaches kids to feel empathetic for each other. A story allows the reader to put themselves in the character’s shoes and gives us a different perspective on the character’s life. It also shows the reader not to judge someone by their cover because you never know what outside factors are affecting them. For example, Daphne's book is about a shy girl named Daphne, commonly known to others as Daffy Duck. She was raised by an impoverished, mentally ill grandmother, so the other kids would make fun of her. Instead of sympathizing with her, kids pitied her and called her names. “These are the experiences for a young person in which the sort of commonplace

Literature Matters “Who needs literature?” (Gillespie). Literature is a way to experience another world written on a sheet of paper. In the article “Why Community College Students Need Great Books, J.M. Anderson refers to literature as “a form of travel in time and space, allowing readers to experience vicariously what others have thought, felt, and even seen.” Experiencing literature takes the mind to another world and allows it to be free with imagination and creativity.

Imagination has the ability to empower individuals, shaped by our experiences we are able to transcend past our physical and psychological bounds and enter a world that does not conform to our ideas of reality. Tim Burton explores this through his film Big Fish in which the imagination is portrayed as an attribute of great importance when faced with misfortune but also when content. Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also conveys the significance that the imagination has when faced with adversity in all aspects of our lives.

I have never been as comfortable with people made of flesh and bone than I have been with those made of words. Whatever information I lose in the contours of the human face, I have no trouble locating in the unchanging, permanent text of a book. There is something about literature that felt safe to me; the worlds created within far more welcoming to little girls with problems fitting in than the one outside the pages. For this reason, fiction, from Harry Potter to The Book Thief, has remained my greatest passion ever since I learned to read.

In Why Literature Matters Author Dana Gioia expresses and supports his opinion on why schools should support and teach arts and literature. Gioia shows the rapid decline in Americans not reading literature anymore, he shows the consequences you will face in the real world, like when you try to get a job. Gioia uses facts and statistics throughout the essay, as well as appealing to your patriotism.

Children’s literature is an effective teaching tool for children but also a way for children to escape their daily lives through fantasy. Didactic material can be used to teach life lessons, manners and morals where subversive and fantasy genres can allow children to release from daily expectations and allows an outlet for their large imaginations.

In an age where the printed novel has been somewhat on the decline, and the necessity of readable fiction has almost faded into obscurity. I believe that literature still harbours a crucial part within our society; from the very foundations of most theatrical adaptations, to preserving the culture and encapsulating the feelings of generations past. In this case literature cements itself as one of the most decisive elements of our civilisation, and combining it with history makes it become a testament to who we are as people, as well as the conservation of both our progression and degradation. I have always enjoyed reading literature, from reading J.R.R Tolkien’s classic ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy within my childhood, to perhaps more sophisticated,

book and is fictional. Fictional books are important to read for many reasons. Some of the reasons are the following; fiction can help you understand society and the world around you, it can allow you to understand and share the feeling of someone else, fiction can help your way of viewing others and strengthens your consciousness, and fiction also helps to keep your brain healthy and knowledgeable. The way it helps you understand society is fiction books can show you things that can happen in the world and give you more of an idea of what to expect in a world where anything can happen. Fiction allows you to understand and share the feeling of

In this persuasive essay “Why Literature Matter”, Dana is trying to explain how our society is losing it’s best qualities by Americans not reading literature. Dana is persuading her audience by using facts from former research done. It is thought to be that who doesn't grow up around literature have less of an imagination and tend to work in factories. About 38% of employees working for the National Association of Manufacturers in 2011 were ranked second to argue how schools are teaching reading comprehension wrong. Society today is losing the uniqueness and individuality we used to have because of the nonreader people.

Though many people nowadays disregard the usefulness of literature in modern society I belong to the opposite sect of folk. Reading and literature is more than just words and writeing, its ways for the dead to speak and advise those to come through understanding of common feelings. Whether the author meant to mean something through metaphor or more literally is not important, what is important is that us as the readers are able to communicate and interpret needed information from the subject and author. Something that I sometimes think is lacking in todays society is not just this communictation but understanding. Furthermore reading it gives us a way to understand and invest in lives other than ourselves. Secondly reading and understanding what we read allows us to feel empathetic towards the subject thus allowing us to share our own story of feeling and ideas. This is

“That individuals at a time of crucial intellectual and emotional development bypass the joys and challenges of literature is a troubling trend.” This is a quote by Dana Gioia from his article “Why Literature Matters”. Although income, college attendance and access to information all increased dramatically, young Americans showed diminished interest in literature and arts. Dana established his claim that if this condition continues to worsen, it will eventually cause negative effects in the long run. He builds his argument effectively by using plenty of statistics, the rhetorical device of irony, and call to action.

“Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia is a brilliantly written essay highlighting the exact reason as to why literature really matters. The introduction to the essay is pulling and interesting, but has a stronger powerful feeling than actual facts. The second paragraph is, on the other hand, mainly factual. Gioia uses a survey to legitimize his claims, and describes the organization that distributes said survey. This provides the reader with a deeper sense of understanding, and builds a trust for the author.

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are,” (Cooley). Reading has impacted us in many ways throughout our lives. Often time’s books give people different perspectives on their lives. People with high stress levels often find comfort in reading books to take their mind off of their concerns. Sometimes, people just need to take a step back from their life and relax for a while; therefore, reading is a great tool. Reading all kinds of books has also helped me become a better writer. There are many different books that have impacted me over the years.

Reading develops a person’s creativity. Unlike movies where everything is determined by the producer, writer and director, books allow students to create in their minds how a particular character looks like or imagine how a scene plays out.