What do you see as the social function(s) of literature? The essay should include attention to at least two of the prescribed texts.

<Tab/>Often, it is easy for us to take for granted much of the literature we read as simply a source of amusement or entertainment. There is no denying that, in most cases, this is one of the main purposes for which literature is written. However, the majority of literature also performs many social functions which can have a vast impact on the way members of the community live there lives …

…to our behaviour and values, or allow us to question the behaviour and values of our own and other societies. It can even help to facilitate social change by making us aware of the vast range of opinions, attitudes, and ideas working within society. Entertainment is indeed an important function of literature, however the variety of other social functions it performs make it an invaluable feature in the lives of the majority of the community.