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Literature in Life

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Literature in Life
Alex Martin
Jillian Linster
ENG 8G:001:070
30 April 2014
Literature and Fulfilling Our Lives Literature has a great way of being able to influence a reader. Each type of literature connects differently to different people. I see that I am able to find ways to connect literature to my life and what life is all about. I could relate situations of my life to all of the different varieties of stories, poems, and plays that we have read as a class over this semester. I feel everyone is able to find some literature that they can connect with, whether they like reading or not. Even though some people don’t appreciate literature as much as others, reading literature including morals can help people get their priorities aligned and realize how to have a fulfilling life. Literature has different ways of showing the powerful emotion of envy. Using your emotions of envy correctly is a step in moving from worrying about yourself to worrying about others. Envy has a negative connotation as a trait in someone’s life. It doesn’t need to be looked at in that way all the time. Envy doesn’t always have to take away from another’s life to better your own. Envy can drive others to be great in life. People see how great others have it, causing them to work harder. Yet, envy can be that negative connotation. Envy can take away life from others. Having envy for something or someone connects us to the life of others and connects ourselves to what we really want our lives to become.
One way that envy connects your own life to the lives of others is through the jealous type of envy. Bette Midler describes one situation of jealousy as a type of envy. “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you” (Midler). This quote describes envy as a negative. It doesn’t have to be this way. People can be happy for others with success. It can make them strive for greatness. When others see success, it makes them crave it. If success is earned for a better life, it doesn’t



Cited: Midler, Bette. "Quotes About Success." 2940 Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Russell, Karen. “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Kelley J.Mays. New York: Norton, 2013. 233. Print. King, Martin L., Jr. "Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Signet Classics, 1998. Print. Stevens, Wallace. “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Kelley J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2013. 233. Print. Frank, Anne. "A Quote by Anne Frank." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Browne, Sir Thomas. "Death Quotes." Death Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

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