The value of literature as a source of knowledge is a timeless debate that varies depending on how knowledge is defined. I will adopt Hillary Putnam's theory of “Knowledge of a Possibility” (Putnam 488) in “Literature Science, and Reflection” (1976) and focus on the value of literature as a source of conceptual knowledge. The emergence of the novel brought with it the conventions for a more realistic style of writing that aimed to appeal to ordinary readers. Variations in the degree of realism ranged from writing that sought to present a fully authentic life experience, known as formal realism, to writing that offers some authentic aspects of life but also retains characteristics of the classical genres of epic and novel. These contrasting styles can be seen particularly in Daniel Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year (1722) and Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews (1742) respectively. In the context of these authors' respective works, the intrusiveness of Fielding's narrator along with his relatively artificial characters and plot ultimately make the work less realistic by the standards of formal realism and, conversely, the first-person narrative of Defoe along with his more realistic characters and plot, adhere more closely to the conventions of formal realism. In the knowledge debate, the author's intentions for a work are important and should be considered when examining the impact of realism on the effectiveness of communicating the author's purpose to the reader. However, knowledge in literature is not limited to an author's intentions, and I argue that realism is directly proportional to knowledge in literature through the discovery of new possibilities and learning from an author's experience and, while not perfect, De...... half of the article ...by Defoe and Fielding, and in the context of Putnam's assessment of knowledge in literature, there is a direct correlation between the use of Formal Realism and the knowledge that a work can offer. It is understandable that each work has its own unique intentions, and not all works need to adhere perfectly to the conventions of Formal Realism to have value, but generally there is a positive correlation between realistic characters, plots, narrative techniques, and the potential for conceptual discovery. The value of knowledge in literature comes from the reader's ability to relate to it and interpret it for themselves, and immersion allows readers to do this more effectively. Ultimately, a person's experiences may be limited by time, but through literature a reader can gain insight into the life of different authors' and characters' experiences..