Believe it or not, literature and storytelling's power is far-reaching, and although it can seem like it has no immediate practical use, reading and thinking about literature and stories can benefit the human exponentially. Literature asks the reader to ponder and form opinion, encourages thinking and criticism, and can make the reader feel free. Here's what Barack Obama recently said about his time as the President and how literature has shaped his understanding of himself as the common citizen - I'd like you to reflect upon his words for a moment: "When I think about how I understand my role as citizen, setting aside being President [...] the most important set of understandings that I bring to that position of citizen, the most important stuff I've learned, I've learned from novels" (Obama 2015). But wait, what does he mean? That's a lot of importance he's put upon literature. How can he understand the human responsibility to be an upstanding member of one's community from novels? I suppose part of it comes down to the fact that literature not only entertains, but also educates, and I think at the end of the day, we would all rather be educated than not. Right? Literature and the stories we share might not literally fix your tire, or pick up your groceries, but it does connect individuals to the deeper truths of existence. Here are some benefits the website Odysseyonline.com has to say about literature: 1) it "expands our horizons", 2) builds critical thinking skills, 3) teaches us about our collective past, 4) helps us appreciate other's cultures and beliefs, 5) betters our writing ability, 6) addresses our own humanity. In the words of P.T. Barnum, "Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity." We have read, analyzed, and created literature this semester, and we have listened, not just with our ears, but our hearts, to stories-heroic journeys through imaginative Heaven and imaginative Hell, and like it or not, we have all been a part of a connection with the literary world and ourselves in some way, shape, or form. Your task is to construct an essay that responds to the above thoughts about literature and storytelling. Your essay can be informal (I mean, moments of 1st person) as I do not want to take away the opportunity for you to personally reflect and connect. Use specific examples from our class: literature and stories, theories and concepts, lectures, songs, poems, documentaries, TED Talks-anything to prove your point. Take some time to organize a plan of attack here, and remember how important it is to EXPLAIN. Remember, it's open book so anything you have written down is available to you. What I am looking for specifically: the structure of your essay, the sophistication of your connections (knowledge, analysis, articulation), textual support (QUOTES), and the use of language conventions. Any questions, don't hesitate to come up and ask. Good luck and metaphors be with you:)