I believe that literature must address itself to...

“I believe that literature must address itself to the problems of its time. An author must write with the conviction that what he is writing can help others become more free, more sensitive, more clear-sighted; yet without the self-righteous illusion of many intellectuals that their work helps contain violence, reduce injustice or promote liberty. I have erred too often myself, and I have seen too many writers I admired err—even put their talents at the service of ideological lies and state crimes—to delude myself. But without ceasing to be entertaining, literature should immerse itself in the life of the streets, in the unravelling of history, as it did in the best of times.”

Mario Vargas Llosa, from the May 20, 1997 issue of Prospect Magazine, in an article that directly addresses the question (posed in the subtitle), “Does literature serve any higher purpose beyond entertainment?”