The Importance of Literature

“There is a crack, a crack in everything
 That’s how the light gets in”
- Leonard Cohen, Anthem

     For us readers, we read for a multitude of reasons. To gain knowledge, allow our imaginations to run wild, to expand our creativity, relaxation, and most importantly, look for that mirror that reflects that we are not alone.

     When we read Homer’s The Odyssey, we read of Odysseus’s difficult journey to return to Ithaca and recognize the difficulty one faces of adjusting to life after perhaps going through a traumatic experience. Our friends and family who have served tours in the military understand this unfortunate feeling. That the optimism one would have for his or her parents and to continue on, no matter how bleak things get in this world is well-depicted in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. To show that we are willing to stop at nothing when risking life and death in hopes that the one we desire will remain with us much like the beloved couple in Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet. Or if we have felt that the light in our lives will never be rekindled and believe it would be better to be nothing more than a fleeting memory. However, we then have a moment of clarity where we hear a passage of music that changes our entire attitude towards descending into the abyss that we immediately begin to look for help as William Styron writes of in his marvelous memoir Darkness Visible.

     While many may find reading as nothing but a, dare I say, a waste of time, I would argue it is not. When we read, it sets the stage for becoming more empathetic, more thankful, and more modest. So many of us believe that we only live one life but that is not the case. When we read, we live multiple lives. The pages we read that show that while life maybe difficult at times, we still have books to show us that there is a reason to continue. As our favorite writers felt the same emotions and gave us our favorite characters to show that beautiful things do come from recognizing nobody is ever truly alone.

Happy reading everyone! 

- Collin