How does literature mirror life?

Literature mirrors life in the same way art imitates life. It is a window into the many realities of different people who live in different world views.

Just to elaborate, books can create a very intimate connection between reader and author. It does this in a way that no other medium can. Literature taps the soul on a conscious and sub-conscious level that I am yet to fully comprehend. Take, for example, myself in grade 10. I'll never forget reading To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. To this day I think of these characters almost daily. When faced with a dilemma a fleeting thought about what Atticus might do lingers in the back of my mind. I, of course, never measure up but my point is that all these years later a book has really shaped my life.