American literature began to emerge around the nineteenth century. Authors wrote what their culture was like through folk tales, narratives, and plays. Which of the following statements best summarizes a role of literature in society?

A. Literature does not reflect themes such as religion, justice, and the passage of time.

B. Literature can express themes such as religion, justice, and the passage of time.

C. Literature is not used to express cultural themes.

D. Literature can express creative ideas rather than history.

I would say that the answer is B) that literature can express themes such as religion, justice and the passage of time. For example, Mark Twain wrote about the life of people along the Mississippi at a particular time and in a small way dealt with justice ie of the justice of the actions of his characters in their daily activities.

B. Literature can express themes such as religion, justice, and the passage of time.

In 19th century American literature, an example of a novel that expressed themes regarding its times and issues like religion and justice would be: Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which spoke out against slavery. (This book was the second-best selling book of the century; only the Bible itself sold more copies.) Another example of a 19th century American novel addressing issues of religion and justice would be The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a work which explored themes of legalism in religion as well as questions concerning sin and guilt.