Literature influences and reflects the culture of the author. A great example of this is Beowulf and its portrayal of Anglo-Saxon notions of courage and bravery. Literature can influence in that it is a way to introduce new concepts, perspectives, and to offer the reader a new way of looking a a problem in society, or give insight into the inner workings of the human disposition. As in Tubman's book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, the perspectives of a work of literature can change a nation.
