HOW LITERATURE MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

A description of how literature makes a dark world a little brighter.

Books are Awesome

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But which books make the world a better place?

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one of the most popular books in North America. Not only does it entice its readers with fierce elements and mystery and suspense, but it also makes this world a better place. It is Severus Snape who allows the books to improve this world. Snape appears to be a terrible person, and as the main protagonist, Harry despises him. However, at the end of the book we learn that the miserable personalities of Severus Snape are a cover up for a life time of pain and rejection. Harry's emotions for Snape change instantly, as Harry recognizes him as a hero after he is killed by Voldemort.

Snape reminds us that people are like complicated puzzles, in which the pieces of the past and the expectations of the future must be placed together in order to fully understand them. Snape reminds us to not be like Harry and to take time to seriously examine people before we come to a conclusion on them.

The Catcher in the Rye

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This book follows a young man who is mentally struggling because of the death of his younger brother. The main character: Holden Caulfield struggles with smoking, drinking, and depression. This book makes the world a better place because it gives us a glimpse into the struggles of people with mental illness. It helps us to better understand their struggles, and that understanding may hopefully lead to change.

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is a book that all readers should read at one time or another. It is filled with fun characters and exciting adventures. The main character is a Hobbit (hence the name "The Hobbit"), who is brought on an adventure with a group of Dwarves to reclaim their homeland. Bilbo helps this story make the world a better place, because he shows that even insignificant people can make a difference, and that it does not always take major leaders or powerful people to make a difference.

Bilbo Baggins overcomes the doubts of other characters and he goes on to play a major role in the reclaiming of the Lonely Mountain. Similar to the Severus Snape lesson, Bilbo encourages us to be open to everyone, and not judge based on size or position, because anyone can be a hero.

Love you Forever

This was one of my favorite books when I was little, so I decided to add it to this list. This book follows a mother who sings a song to her little boy, even as the boy grows into a man the mother continues her song. Finally, near the end the mother is to old and weak to sing her song, so the now grown man sings it to her, except he changes it so it fits the fact that she is his mother, not his baby. Then at the end of the book, the man sings the song to his baby daughter and the tradition carries on.

This books makes the world a better place because it shows an example of family love, in a world dominated by hate. This book does not end with the mother's love for her son, but then it shifts to the son's love for his mother, and then the son as a father and his love for his daughter. It is a book that offers relief from the hatred and fear that dominates modern day society.

The Bible

The Bible is a book that follows God's plan to save humanity from sin. It follows the death and resurrection of Jesus, and also shows various other stories. The Bible offers hope to those who believe it, and it tells of a life beyond this world. The Bible gives us a path to follow in a very complicated life, and it offers us feelings of security and peace.

The Bible is for anyone who is willing to listen, and I would recommend it to anyone. The Bible is a source of hope for its believers, and it is the word of God. It is a beacon of light in a sea of darkness, and for its believers it leads the pathway through life.

Garfield

I know this is a comic book, but hey, we could all use a bit more laughter in our lives. And who doesn't love an obese cat who torments his halfwit of an owner? Anyway, I love Garfield, and will always enjoy its great books.

Lord of The Rings: Return of the King

Certainly a much harder novel to read than the Hobbit, but nonetheless it is still a very popular piece of literature. This novel makes the world a better place by its unbelievable creativity. Tolkien will always be one of my favorite authors because of his ability to create something so huge. I mean, Star Wars is pretty impressive, but it has had thousands of people work on it, Tolkien was able to create a whole world with a rich history, languages, races, nations, and all sorts of creatures. I can only hope that maybe one day I could create something that could challenge Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Tolkien in my opinion, is one of the world's most creative people. I will always admire his amazing ability (even though he did receive some help) to create something amazing, and plant creativity in those who read his stories.