Mirrors reflect the world you are in, and windows let you peer out to the unknown. Sliding doors are the exception, wherein they let you step outside of your own world and get lost in another.
This is why literature that acts as a sliding door is my favourite type of literature. For me, my main ‘criterion’ for literature is that the piece should be able to provide some sort of learning I can apply to my life, something that allows me to grow or reevaluate myself.
‘Mirror’ literature meets this by allowing me to look at a sort of reflection of myself, and therefore observe and reevaluate aspects of my life and identity.
‘Window ‘literature meets this as I get to learn from the experience of others, especially people in situations I could never find myself in, giving me a unique perspective on the world. While this makes it an especially strong contender, it lacks the personal element present in ‘Mirror’ literature.
And this is why ‘sliding door’ literature is my favourite type. As the midpoint, an amalgamation of the aforementioned, ‘Sliding door’ literature allows the reader to live in a world they wouldn’t have been able to experience before, while actively relating to the characters in the story, making the learning somewhat personal as they begin to contemplate what they would do in that situation, creating. a massive opportunity for learning.