"Literature has a role to play in developing a representation of a particular society. What views and values do we experience in reading Thornton's book? " – Essay response
             Every piece of fictional writing ever written, from sci-fi to the bible, tells us something of the time in which it was written, either because it is set in that time, or because of the way the author perceives the time in which it is set. Any piece of writing that we read is also coloured by the views expressed by the author, some times blatantly, sometimes subtly.
             Thornton's novel paints a portrait of the Argentina junta as a cruel and faceless regime, that destroys those who seek to oppose its views with the self-righteous anger that is usually associated with the fervour of fanatical religiousness. But would the novel have such credence if the junta remained in power today, or if the world political stance was more accepting of right-wing politics?
             The answer, sadly is no. The phrase "History is written by the victors" is one that even today rings true. If the Axis powers had not been defeated in WWII, would our history be written from an Aryan perspective, disregarding all Jewish history, and if so, who would doubt it? The sad fact is that many people blindly accept what they are told to be true, without questioning the motives of those who tell them. If no historical or fictional account of the holocaust remains in 50 years time, then the people of the future will be missing a large portion of what we know to be real. It is in this way that literature serves to form a representation of a particular society.
             But it must be said that all literature must be read in conjunction and context with other works of the same period in order to stimulate a healthy, rounded view of a society. That is to say it is impossible to read a piece of a certain era and expect it to magically reveal a comprehensive insight into the s
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