Literature and the Mind (An Introduction)

[...]many scholars recognize the significant social contribution of literature precisely because of its insight into the human psyche. By analyzing the "literary structuring of common basic human experiences," the author demonstrates the power that literature can exert on the individual and his ability to exist and experience. [...]the author's observation that picture books play a crucial role in introducing children to a wide range of emotions is significant, especially because sadness is expressed in them bimodally, i.e. through both verbal and visual communication. In this respect, the analysis is closely related to the findings of cognitive literary studies, which emphasize the visual nature of human perception and the crucial role that the visual images presented in picture books play in their understanding.