September 4, 2024 // Perspective

The Foundational, Formational Importance of Literature

Dan Tryniecki

Pope Francis’ recent apostolic letter, “The Role of Literature in Formation,” explains how literature is essential to the sound formation of both clergy and laypeople. As a Catholic English teacher, I can attest to the truth of the pope’s words. I have witnessed the transformative power of literature on myself throughout my lifetime – and on my students during the past decade. Given how difficult it is to convince both adolescents and adults to spend more time reading these days – for pleasure or otherwise – Pope Francis’ words are as timely as ever.

One refreshing aspect of “The Role of Literature in Formation” is the letter’s tone – encouraging rather than admonishing. I believe this is no accident, because I have often had more success as an educator in convincing students to read based on the practical benefits they gain rather than the threats of what will happen if they do not. The interactive element of literature, in which we “in some sense rewrite” each story through our imaginations, gives us more autonomy over a narrative than we have when a television show or movie does most of the audiovisual interpretation for us.

The notion that literature sharpens our imagination may seem an unnecessary asset in adult life when we face the daily exigencies of our careers and families; however, the cognitive benefits are useful: We strengthen our own memories, improve our capacity for meditative thought and guided imagery, and we receive a message from the author that “allows us to grow inwardly,” Pope Francis writes. My students almost universally tell me they feel a greater sense of personal change and accomplishment when finishing a book than they do from binge watching a television show.

Additionally, the benefits of studying literature go beyond the cognitive realm and into the moral one for Pope Francis. In citing Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges and American poet and essayist
T.S. Eliot, he explains how literature builds empathy. In living vicariously through other characters, we come to understand we are not at the center of the universe and must allow for the perspective of the other. I remember how revelatory it was for me to encounter authors whose works immerse themselves in a foreign culture while still showing our shared humanity. Pearl Buck’s “The Good Earth,” James Clavell’s “Shogun,” Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” and Junot Diaz’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” all come to mind.

Lest you think that building empathy is another platitude or generality, I can attest that accounting for another’s wants and needs, and not only my own, has helped me maintain my patience as a husband, father, and teacher while still exerting some of my own authority on the world.

I know many may not need the pope’s reminder to read. Others may see the truth in it but fail to follow through when faced with powerful distractions. Nicholas Carr reminds us in his book “The Shallows” that social media companies devote billions of dollars in research to capturing our attention and exposing us to the maximum amount of advertising possible each time we surf the web. Indeed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans are reading less per day than a decade ago.

The question is not whether Pope Francis’ words are wise or necessary. Rather, will we have the constitution to follow them? As refreshing as it is to hear a man of such global influence endorse literacy, his words will only be as powerful as we allow them to be.

Dan Tryniecki is Chair of the English and Language Arts Department at Marian High School in Mishawaka.