What Makes Up A Work Of Literature A work of literature may be defined as a classic because it promotes deep insight into human behavior. Both The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey give a reader a complete understanding of what is going on inside of the heads of the characters. This insight into the characters can be used as a general insight into human behavior. One insight is that a person's physical abilities can be controlled by their mental awareness and stat e of being. Another is that they see themselves in relation to those around them. In The Scarlet Letter, a reader is pres