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Great Literature is help for humans. It is medicine of the…

“Great Literature is help for humans. It is medicine of the highest order. In a more aware culture, writers would be considered priests. And, in fact, I have approached writing in a distinctly priestess frame of mind. I know what The Color Purple can mean to people, women and men, who have no…” quote by Alice Walker
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““Great Literature is help for humans. It is medicine of the highest order. In a more aware culture, writers would be considered priests. And, in fact, I have approached writing in a distinctly priestess frame of mind. I know what The Color Purple can mean to people, women and men, who have no voice. Who believe they have few choices in life. It can open to them, to their view, the full abundance of this amazing journey we are all on. It can lift them into a new realization of their own power, beauty, love, courage. It is a book that unites the present with the past, therefore giving people a sense of history and of timelessness they might never achieve otherwise. And even were it not ‘great’ literature, it has the best interests of all of us humans at heart. That we grow, change, challenge, encourage, love fiercely in the awareness that real love can never be incorrect.””

Alice Walker

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Literature serves as a healing, empowering force that connects readers across time, offering voice, history, and personal transformation.

In simple terms: Books heal and empower people.

Key Takeaway

Read to grow and connect.

Themes

healing empowerment history identity

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • education
  • therapy
  • community building
  • personal development

Key Concepts

priestly narrative cultural bridge

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does a specific book change your self‑view?
  • What makes literature “great”?
A Different Perspective

Not all literature achieves this impact; interpretation varies.

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