What is the role of literature in a democracy?

sara a: What is the role of literature in a democracy?
What is the relationship of literature to democracy? That is, what role does one play in sustaining the other?

Answers and Views:

Answer by auntnebakenezer
bible/10 commandments is the basis for all modern law. both say no stealing, killing, cheating, lying, etc.

Answer by old lady
Literature is a collective means of saying, “what if….”
Fiction provides an outlet for our imaginations — and sometimes from those imagined situations, real-life events cana be changed.
Nonfiction provides a means of sharing knowledge, whether on a local, national or international level. Without this interchange of information, a democracy could not function.

Answer by thewiseman2008
Literature is a form of expression. Literature is meant to be read and express the thoughts of an author. A democracy is run by the thoughts of the people, Literature is a form of displaying the thoughts of people in order to not only share ideas with each other but to keep them informed.

Without different forms of Literature democracy is almost impossible, seeing as people would be incapable of expressing there thoughts to the masses ( Seeing as a script for a television show is a form of literature as well ).

This is expressed in the significance of the First Amendment rights of free speech and the freedom of the press.

Also, literature would be more difficult without democracy because of the limits that may be put on to what people wish to display, once again alluding to what is protected in the First Amendment that is true to pure democracy in the lack of ability to limit the words of the people.