7.Finally, discuss how literature can provide a mirror that illuminates life lessons or helps people understand their own struggles and triumphs in life. Which of the other readings stands out and will have an effect on you as you move through life?

An interesting theme in 20th century philosophy and literary criticism is narrative as a universal human enterprise. When we use language, we are already implying a narrative because each word is only meaningful insofar as it is located within a story we've either heard or experienced. In this way, literature is literally the mode of intelligibility for human beings to communicate with one another. It affects not only you but everyone!