Literature is the base of society, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. Merica' Literature depends on the trend of society. How Does Literature Shape or Reflect Society? An example of this is the book ''The Hunger Games''. In the book the Everdeen family is going through a financial struggle, and often had to succumb to picking through trashcans for food. Tragedy in society is also commonly evident in the author's work. Events happening in society will usually reflect in the authors work. An example of this is the book: ''The Boy in The Striped Pajamas''. This book is about two boys living in the time of the Holocaust. One boy lives at a concentration camp, and the other boy is the son of a general at the camp. One day the general's son ventures over to the camp to explore because he didn't know what it was. He made friends with the other young boy in the camp, and that day they became victims of the camp, by dying in a gas chamber. Literature also reflects society by entertaining and spreading new ideas.