The primary way in which we humanize ourselves is through fiction. Sounds like an insane hyperbole, but fiction is the distinctive factor of personhood, above all else. Through fiction, we have built massive social structures, directed collective effort, and essentially created a new world (for better or worse, y'all). This is why literary analysis is such an important and often overlooked skill that is taught in school. As a matter of fact, it's generally taught wrong, as a kind of sideshow act that is adjunct to reading. But detecting, distilling, and articulating the messages found in literature is a power that is not only important, but dynamic.