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Basic concept of literature
Reading comprehension about literature
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How do we begin to define an immense subject such as literature? We may refer to dictionaries and find scholars explaining literature simply as any written piece of work, but those definitions do not even begin to scratch the surface of what this entity we call literature truly is. In order to understand the true concept of it you must delve into it yourself. Personally, after reading many novels, stories, and poems, I have come to the realization that literature is not just a boring subject we study in school. Through many stories and the work of Northrop Frye, I have realized how literature has no boundaries because it is built by human imagination and anything can be broken down, even time, by imagination (Frye 80). Literature has allowed me to travel countless miles, experience catastrophic events, and feel a …show more content…
We long to know how it feels to be adventurous, accepted, or cheerful. Not only do we yearn for good sensations, but we desire to know what it is like to be confused, brokenhearted, or enraged in problematic situations we might not encounter within our own lives. Through literature, we are capable of experiencing such emotions wherever we may stand in our physical condition. When reading “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”, we feel what it is like to be rebellious and run off on our own even if we would never dare to do so personally (Luke 224). When circumstances became difficult for the youngest son, he returned home. “But when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran, and felon his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 225). Although the son had rejected him, the father still showed him compassion and adoration when he returned. I have read this parable many times and each time I still have the feeling that I am accepted, forgiven, and loved just like the Prodigal Son. Although literature pleases us, it also educates us in preparation of real life
Michaela DePrince’s book Taking Flight is a memoir about her journey from being a war orphan to ballerina. This book has impact society by teaching young people that they can do whatever they put the mind to, no matter their race or background.
A deeply pious man, John considers the Bible a sublime source of moral code, guiding him through the challenges of his life. He proclaims to his kid son, for whom he has written this spiritual memoir, that the “Body of Christ, broken for you. Blood of Christ, shed for you” (81). While John manages to stay strong in the faith and nurture a healthy relationship with his son, his relationship with his own father did not follow the same blueprint. John’s father, also named John Ames, was a preacher and had a powerful effect on John’s upbringing. When John was a child, Father was a man of faith. He executed his role of spiritual advisor and father to John for most of his upbringing, but a shift in perspective disrupted that short-lived harmony. Father was always a man who longed for equanimity and peace. This longing was displayed in his dealings with his other son, Edward: the Prodigal son of their family unit, a man who fell away from faith while at school in Germany. John always felt that he “was the good son, so to speak, the one who never left his father's house” (238). Father always watched over John, examining for any sign of heterodoxy. He argued with John as if John were Edward, as if he were trying to get Edward back into the community. Eventually, John’s father's faith begins to falter. He reads the scholarly books
Literature is representative of the time in which it is produced. Literature can reflect societal views, attitudes, and fears.Vampire literature, in particular, often represents the fears of a society.In the Victorian Era, a time of intense sexual repression, it was common for vampire stories to reflect the fear of sexuality that was rampant in society.
Great literature is relevant to human problems in every century, not just twentieth-century problems or problems exclusive to the time in which the work was written. In other words, great literature has stood the test of time. It still influences our beliefs and ideas, shaping our civilization.
Literature }is a writing which expresses and communicates thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards life~. Rees (1984, p. 2). Whereas the novel, as a precised particular genre of literature, is a narrative prose of considerable length,which merges reality with fantasy and imagination to imbue its characters and actions with a sense of fiction. In answer to the second part of the question, Nin (1972, p.168) argues that }the function of the novel is to give you an emotional experience....
To what extent can literature have an affect on the way we judge society? Humans are naturally able to make a first impression on countries, religions, and people based upon their own beliefs. Writers are grown up in different societies and express their own beliefs on countries, religion and people through their own life experiences. Writers have enough power to change the reader’s preconceived ideas by the writers sharing of their own perspective on their beliefs. Through analyzing different forms of literature such as White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, Joseph Brodsky’s “A commencement Address,” and watching Chimamanda Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” I have realized that reading literature has the ability to change our thinking which in return affects the we judge different society. There have been controversies that media is a huge factor in altering the mind of humans. Literature can be also viewed as a type of media because literature helps the readers understand the conditions of certain societies.
While this essay can in no way claim to contain a fully representative sampling of what various scholars have contributed relative to the ongoing debate over the literary canon, I will attempt to highlight three distinct positions which are all informed by John Guillory's critical contributions to the canonical debate. First, I will discuss the concept of ideology and canon formation as Guillory first articulated it in his 1983 essay, "The Ideology of Canon Formation: T. S. Eliot and Cleanth Brooks," and which he subsequently thoroughly revised and included in his 1993 book on canon formation, Cultural Capital: The Problem of literary Canon Formation This essay on the ways ideology and cultural politics complicates and informs canon formation, also discusses Guillory's theory concerning the death Joe Weixlmann who offers his own commentary concerning how ideology and politics of literary orthodoxy in favor of a more democratically situated heterodoxy, and how this concept of a heterodoxy might inform the university's literary curriculum. Next, Christopher Ricks' essay, 'What is at stake in the "battle of the books"?" will be analyzed to determine if his attack on Guillory's assertions relative to his critique of the current status of the canonical debate contributes in any meaningful way to opinions about whether or not the literary canon should be revised. Finally, the several critics who have now offered commentary on Guillory's latest theories on canon formation as articulated in Cultural Capital will be discussed relative to how influential they perceive Guillory's latest work to be as it pertains to the ongoing debate over the nature of the extant literary canon.
Literature is an essential part of society in the present day and enables the communication between multiple parties in a written form. Texts can provide a vast knowledge on subjects dependent on content whereas novels are often seen as being purely for leisure and enjoyment. However it can often be seen that prose
Have you ever wondered why literature has become what it is today? Why people started to write literature in the first place, and why readers where so motivated about books? Philosophy, the word itself is not as complex as its meaning, but so is literature. Philosophy is a study that seeks answers to enduring questions about existence and reality. The aim of this curiosity for more is the sole purpose to discover the nature of truth and knowledge, finding what is life and its meaning. Philosophy not only examines nature and life, but also humanity as an individual and humanity as a society. These examinations intrigues not only the writers, but also the audience as well, for the reason that philosophy arises from pure wonder, curiosity, and the desire to know and understand, which is what people look for in literature. Philosophers who marked philosophy as it is are, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three great philosophers had their own individual judgment, but they all had a common objective, to expand their knowledge and views through the use of literature. As philosophy grew among society and extended throughout the world, people were developing logical reasoning, which became important and influential throughout nations such as Greece and India. Philosophers such as John Locke and Voltaire were the two leading figures in the Enlightenment to provide philosophical literature. Ancient philosophers and enlightenment philosophers both provided the readers a subjective view, using as examples matters such as logic and ethics, but with many more aspects of philosophy also presented by these men of thought. Throughout the years, the inclusion of philosophy has changed literature itself with the rise of curiosity and reasoning,...
My view of Literature is that it is the soul to the imagination. I may be mistaken, but that is the beauty of literary words; there is no truth, no right nor wrong in them, yet they hold just about everything to learn on life. Miss Judy Brown, my form four English teacher, has really inspired me in indispensible ways. She is definitely one in a billion.
Adam, a corporal officer, starts as man who works everyday to catch the ‘villains’ of society, but is not spending enough time with his family, especially his son. He favors his nine year old daughter over his fifteen year old son. Adam views his daughter as a sweet child, and his son as a stubborn teenager who is going through a rebellious stage. However, when his daughter is killed in an accident, his perspective of family changes. In his grief, he states that he wishes he had been a better father. His wife reminds him that he still is a father and he realizes that he still has a chance with his son, Dylan. After his Daughter’s death, he creates a resolution from scriptures that states how he will be a better father. Because of the resolution he creates, he opens up to and spends more time with his son. By th...
Literature is a very powerful tool that is used to make a huge impact on society or in someone’s perspective. Literature comes in different forms and each literature form fits in a certain category or role to help understand the true meaning of it. From playwrights to short stories, each one has moral lesson, a message or a reflection of the author. I have witnessed the power of literature several times. Literature has moved teens to better being; it has motivated unfortunate people to fame, used as an educational process of teaching and most of all, entertainment. Back in the day, plays were on of the most famous forms of entertainment. Without television and radio present, plays served as a substitute to entertain certain groups of people like the royal family or just for the whole public. This was one way of making money by the actors and the authors that wrote the play. Also present during those times were the poem recitals. This is similar to a play but fewer people are present in the stage or sometimes solo performance. Today, Literature is still being used as a form of entertainment and educational intentions. Hollywood made a lot of money by revising the great masterpieces of famous authors such as “Rome and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Also, they made movies out of hundreds of literary works for educational purposes and better understanding of the literature piece. Each form of literature has its own style. The style determines how it influences the audience to absorb the true meaning and moral of the story or poem. William Shakespeare and Benjamin Franklin were truly persuasive while Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe mixed mystery and adventure to their works. The style touches the readers which really makes a good relationship from the reader to the author’s literary masterpieces.
Literature is creative writing of recognized artistic value. Literature represents the very best of human expression. We read and celebrate Literature for many reasons. A few of these reasons are,- to be inspired, to be delighted, to embark on incredible ventures and others.
Literature has had a major impact on society, and, also our history. Literature has reformed and shaped civilizations, changed political systems, and has exposed injustices (3). Our literature has changed and developed as we have, keeping up with our society. “...literature is crucial for the advancement of society (3).” With literary works, we can convince others to view things a certain way, share our opinions, and more. Literature is greatly intertwined with our society and everyday lives, and they would not be the same without it. Literature plays an irreplaceable role in our
Eastern and Western literature dates far back in time. Many of the key characteristics of both styles of writing are what make them what they are today.