Article September 1, 2013

Literature

Roderick Nordell

Originally published in the March 15, 1963 issue of The Christian Science Monitor

The challenge to morality in literature has two faces. One of them, a classic proﬁle, represents the timeless role of literature in society. The other, wearing a haunted frown, represents the special characteristics of our time, an age that is not sure it knows what is good and what is bad.

These two faces confront both writers and readers with tests of various moral qualities, from courage to justice to chastity. But in literature one moral quality underlies all the rest. It is honesty. Literature is a form of communication, and in any form of communication the most important thing to achieve—and often the most difficult—is honesty.

As a repository of experience, literature challenges the writer not to falsify experience. It challenges the reader not to demand falsiﬁcations in support of his prejudices.

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