Families are described in all shapes and sizes in literature books. The perfect family, the loving family, the illiterate family, and most importantly, the dysfunctional family are all found in literature. The dictionary definition of a dysfunctional family is one in which conflict often occurs in an orderly fashion, thus leading children to grow up understanding that such an arrangement is normal rather than dysfunctional. Even though the context or history of dysfunctional families in literary works is different, they all share some traits and aspects in common. Dysfunctional families in the literature each follow a road map that involves three distinct traits. These aspects are: how others, society, and the outside world perceive the dysfunction, how the training process unfolds, and how each character reacts to the dysfunction, either overcoming it or letting it destroy them. Each of these points is the result of a dysfunctional family found in many literary works and thus shapes literature and the reading world as it is today. As Dr. David Stoop quotes, “We are what we learn” and in dysfunctional families there is room for learning, improvement, and destruction. To begin with, it is the first factor found in the literature based on dysfunctional families. Dysfunctional families add to literature because they incorporate a worldview into the work. This world is society or others outside the family and the way they perceive the dysfunctions around them. Most of the time in literature, society is seen as a negative aspect that judges and has its own way of doing things. This is exactly how society can be described when looking at dysfunctional families in the literature.......middle of article......to question the roles of the family. Dysfunctional families, thoughts and situations exist in all societies, including ours, as does the perception of what is “the right look” for women in today's world. Whatever the situation, dysfunction exists and what matters is whether it is welcomed or overcome. It is said that “those of us who grew up in dysfunctional families know that with every challenge comes new opportunities” The Good Things About Growing Up in a Dysfunctional Family, Karen Casey. Overall, dysfunctional families are found in literature and add a family aspect as well as conflict, sympathy and life decisions to the storyline. Dysfunctional families add importance to stories because they add background and follow a path of struggle and challenges that the characters follow, thus integrating the three traits discussed in this essay..