Readers are able to escape and immerse themselves into new worlds. Books can present new ideas and new ways to think. These books can educate us and challenge norms. Many writers and authors were the first ones to bring profound changes to literature.
Jane Austen popularized the writing style and idea that reading about the everyday lives and emotions of characters could be interesting. These characters are not doing anything out of the ordinary. But still, through Austen's writing, the readers remain captivated. While this may not seem new to us, literature during Austen's time was different.
Many authors wrote about magical events, the supernatural, and stories that involved violence and scandals. Austen was able to change that. She wrote about characters that are not experiencing anything unusual. Jane Austen focused her writing on the everyday lives of people.
Mary Wollstonecraft wrote The Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792. Many believe that it was the first treatise on feminism. The author challenged the position of women during her time. She argued that women should be treated equally. Mary's ideas have been cited in many feminist works after her.
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The story follows Uncle Tom, who was an African-American slave. Uncle Tom’s Cabin brings the injustice and horrors of slavery to the public's attention. It shows the suffering of the slaves and the lack of morals in the owners. This caused an uproar. It strengthened ideas to ban slavery. Many people think this novel was one of the factors that caused the Civil War.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a novel that takes place in the 1890s in Nigeria. The novel chronicles life in Nigeria in the pre-colonial period and the Europeans' arrival. This story breaks stereotypes of native Africans. It shows how African culture and identity was impacted and how the society fell apart.
The Diary of a Young Girl was written by Anne Frank. This book is from the diary that Anne kept while she was in hiding. Her diary shows first hand what it was like to be Jewish and go through WWII. Anne Frank wrote about many hopes and dreams. This strongly contrasts with her situation. The book is important, because it is a poignant reminder of the effects of racial persecution.
Animal Farm by George Orwell highlights that totalitarian regimes are all identical. For example, those that are in charge and have power only want to preserve and abuse their power. Those that hold power oppress the lower classes. It also shows that mass surveillance does more harm than good. Animal Farm is a classic. The setting and characters allude to real events and people.
John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath follows a poor family's journey from Oklahoma to California in the 1930s. California was seen as a place with a lot of opportunities. The story portrays the destitution of the many migrants who made the trek to find work, only to be met with unfair working conditions and struggle. The Grapes of Wrath calls for social change. Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath.
The Pulitzer Prize is an award given for achievements in different forms of writing and journalism, literature, and music writing. It is a prize that is given out yearly in 21 different categories. The winners receive cash awards too.
There are so many works that have introduced and shared new ideas. Some of them are informative and others might be thought-provoking. While many famous books were written centuries ago, they continue to inspire us. These stories have also influenced other genres and subgenres as well. Do any of these famous works resonate with you?