Introduction

Literature finds its way into everyone's life at one time or another.  Even as children we are exposed to literature.  Parents read to their children and children are taught to read in school as well.  To clearly define one's experience with literature would involve the study of specific types of literature and the times in which they were written.  Literature is our eyes into the past. We are able to view life as it was, during a time in which we were not present.  It is a reflection of society and their values, beliefs, and priorities.

I have no set expectations on how a literary masterpiece should be written.  I have found in the past that upon first reading, I was not impressed, then later found out if I had taken the time to reread the piece and really evaluate it for its content; I would have comprehended a lot more and appreciated the author's efforts.  Literary masterpieces can be pleasant, beautiful, fun, dull, or painful in nature.  Literature can allude to each of these qualities and tell a story about something that was important to the author.  Every type of literature is subjective and it is up to the individual to find their own interpretation of the piece according to their own past experiences.  Not only must the individual find their own meaning; they must try and find the message the author was attempting to convey by placing one's self in the author’s shoes and really trying to imagine what made these works masterpieces.

With guidance through instruction, I have been able to expose myself to different literary masterpieces in which I may not have ever heard of previously.  Education is the key for me.

Analyzing, evaluating, and discussing these pieces with others helps shed light on the true matter at hand.  I enjoy a good debate and discussion on what I have learned personally from my readings.  I am able to decipher the different methods in which literature was used to create change and express one's ideals.  These pieces of literature are intended to focus on personal life experiences.  The knowledge that can be gained from one's point of view of society in general is infinite.  We look back at these writings and think how we have evolved to society today.  They talk of love, war, the creation, and death.  These are all life changing events that occur and have been recorded in the form of literary masterpieces.  It is interesting to see how these events were thought of in the past and how they differ today.  I believe these pieces are extremely important in our never ending quest to improve life for all mankind.  History repeats itself and can teach us very valuable lessons.  The stories told can teach us what did work and what did not work.  It can tell what made people happy and what didn’t.  It can also teach us how to go about making change whether intentionally done by the author or not.  The authors' ghosts' haunt us each time we read one of their pieces.  They evoke new thoughts and the need for change.  Clearly their efforts have not gone in vain.

Most times I read literary masterpieces right out of a book or online.  I prefer to read from the book so that I may add my own stick notes with questions, ideas, or literary devices used without ruining the book.  This allows me to revisit certain sections I want to clarify further. Modern society has gained a lot through the reading and comprehension of these literary masterpieces. Society has evolved. The ideas that were prevalent in ancient times have been disproven or even led to positive change for all. Women's rights were certainly one of the major issues that finally obtained recognition and have continually changed over time. African American rights and views have also changed over time. Military personnel have been able to utilize these readings as well to develop strategies for war. If we really want to know something about today, we have to explore what has been done in the past and how those methods or ways of thinking either benefited or hindered all.