Fictional worlds open new doors

When reading literature, it is second-nature to apply what we know about the world around us to the text. Even though it isn't always the author's intention for us to view the world they've created in the same way that we view the world we live in, it is easier for us to liken fictional settings to our non-fictional world; it helps us to broaden our understanding of a world that we aren't so familiar with. Sometimes it is hard for us to fathom a place where race, gender and class do not play a dominant role, since it's something that we're so accustomed to in our world.

The beauty of literature lies within the ability to differentiate these fictional places and characters from the world that we're seemingly trapped within. It allows us to escape from normality and, for a short time, live in a world where anything is possible.