The relationship between literature and history is as old as the written word. Ancient writings influenced the formation of society and how people viewed their communities, if not their reality. Literature continues to reflect history, as history is seen in the mirror provided by literature books.
During the Harlem Renaissance, the works of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen gave African Americans a voice. The works of Gertrude Stein and Willa Cather, along with others, removed some of the gender stereotypes that were prevalent at the time. John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald were among the authors whose writings pointed out the gulf between what society had to do and what not to do. Today, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech continues to inspire many.