“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends” – Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Platonic love is one of the most valuable forms of love anyone can experience. Sharing an obsession for the same musician, talking until the birds come up, singing awfully on lifts home. 

And whilst not understanding everything we go through or are feeling, just being there to listen. A shared, knowing look at awful dinner parties and a hug that can completely lift us.

Friends are vital for human beings; family without sharing the same blood. Friendship is so important that our mental and physical health can rapidly decline without it.

Yet despite its significance, it is often an overlooked element in literature. We so often see romantic relationships being a focus of literary analysis, yet friendship is perhaps in nearly every novel we pick up.

Literary friendships transcend across genres, found in fictional worlds as well as our own. Friendship can exist between humans and animals, different ages, cultures and genders.

When we read of literary friendships, it helps us to understand our own relationships and experiences better, shaping our understanding of the world. 

Reading has been scientifically confirmed to increase empathy.

When we read about scenarios in books, our brain cannot tell the difference between what fiction is and what we are 

experiencing in that moment. This is because it fires up sensory neurons and causes us to really feel as if we are there.

When we read situations where friendships are challenged or strengthened, we experience these emotions and struggles too. It builds compassion.

Characters in novels not only mirror our problems, but what our friends may be going through too. Reading about it and finding similarities can deepen our understanding of these feelings, allowing us to learn and be supportive friends to each other.

It is preparation for challenging situations, or triumphs, and allows us to strengthen our empathy.

Reading of diverse friendships teaches us to be inclusive and to show kindness to everyone, no matter their differences. Friendships have no limitations or boundaries, a difference in our skin colour or sexuality for example, does not prevent connection.

After all, we are all made of the same stuff.

When children begin to read about diverse friendships in literature, they learn from an early age to show empathy and kindness, how to deal with difficult situations between friends and how to overcome them.

In literature, we can learn lessons about how to be better humans towards each other. 

For those who are alone, reading novels featuring extraordinary friendships can bring a sense of hope that kind people do exist, and that friendship can truly be found anywhere. The novel can be a guiding light in periods of darkness. 

Grand tales of romance are enthralling and can move us beyond expression. But there is power and life-changing abilities within stories of small, simple experiences of friendship and human connection.

Through them, we find a sense of belonging and learn lessons of how to navigate our own world a bit better.

It teaches us that platonic love is just as impactful as the romantic kind. 

Image credit: Kali Hollands