Literary Profile

"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning."

                  - Maya Angelou

I believe that Literature can have a huge effect on people's lives. As a child I was exposed to a wide variety of literature, from fairy tales to nursery rhymes. My parents made sure that my younger sister and I were always reading something new. My mother used to especially encourage me to take advantage of the benefits from literature as she always stated how " books are the source of knowledge, imagination, and creativity."  When I was younger I read a range of works consisting of Dr. Seuss, The Golden books and the Ramona series. As I got older, my love for reading grew, especially in high school as I discovered an entirely different genre. I learned to love books that were not strictly for entertainment purposes, but for growing in my personal faith and beliefs. I discovered CS Lewis the summer before my junior year. Since then I have been enthralled with his books, as well as authors who were influenced by his works. I have read several books that were extremely significant to my life. My senior year I took a one year course on Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. Both books radically changed how I viewed my faith and Christianity in general. I read them at a critical period in my life, when I was majorly struggling with my identity and trying to figure out  exactly what I stood for. Literature has the ability to inform, persuade, influence and inspire. It is a powerful source that can be used in many ways, both good and bad. There are millions of literary pieces that uplift and encourage readers. However there are certain forms of literature that take advantage of its powerful influence to manipulate readers to believe falsehoods or biased information.  Personally, literature has been a source of learning, comfort, growth and inspiration.  Literature is an extraordinary influence which can be used in many ways to positively effect people's lives.