The Purpose of Literature

After reading literature from a variety of different cultures and time periods over the course of this semester, I believe I have gained a better understanding of the purpose of literature. At the beginning of the course, my answer to the question would be very different. But now I believe the purpose of Literature is to explain the purpose of man and understand what happens to man after death. In almost every story there is a higher being or beings, a higher authority that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The characters in the stories often have to make a decision as to whether they will comply with what the gods say to do and be content with their state. Or they can try to resist the higher authority. There will always be new literature because people will never find a concrete answer to these types of questions. There will never be a textbook that can say for a matter of fact, this is why you are here and this is where you go after you die and this is what you should do with your life. Many different religions try to answer these questions but of course nobody can come to agree upon one answer to these questions. Literature doesn't always come out and say that it is addressing man's dilemma but it a re-occuring underlying theme in almost every piece of literature. If we, as the reader, pay close attention to these underlying themes, we can gain a better of understanding of the works themselves as well as gaining insight to our lives. By piecing together different works from different cultures, all seeking to explain mans existence, I believe we can gain a better understanding of our humanity.