Kasi Kaye Iliopoulus, author of Living in Light, Love and Truth, once identified in one of her novels that “knowledge without application is simply knowledge. Applying the knowledge to one’s life is wisdom — and that is the ultimate virtue.” Iliopoulus is saying that without the application of knowledge in the world, then knowledge is quite simply useless. In this, my senior year of high school, I have voluntarily and involuntarily had the pleasure of recollecting from the memories that I have gained from my high school experience. I have made good memories with friends, gained an education that will advance me into the world, and been taught truths that will remain manifested within my mind. Many of the writer and authors of the past have placed within their works a central message to instill within their reader’s minds a better view of the world. Also, does the study of Literature hold any value in the world? Why must Literature be taught in school? Do these truths insert significance within this study? Throughout these past four years of English, through the many works that have been studied, and through all of the knowledge that has been taught, the reader has learned many lessons that are plausible to impact his or her life whether they choose to listen or not; however, all in all, readers owe many of the universal themes to the works that I have read.
Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, follows closely the lives of Emily Webb and George Gibbs as the audience and the characters travel from school days, to wedding day, to Emily’s funeral day. There are many universal truths that Our Town puts forth to the reader; however, one of the main themes is to not let life pass you by, but to live life to the fullest while you are ab...
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... Without the reader the works would just be text on a page; the reader brings these words to life in their mind to reveal secrets of life and truths of the universe. Thus, all in all, it is clearly obvious that the value of literature is evident within society, and deserves to remain a role there throughout time.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1960. Print.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.
Iliopoulos, Kasi Kaye. Living in Light, Love & Truth: You Can Positively Change Your Life by Living in Light, Love, &.. S.l.: Balboa Pr, 2012. Print.
Wilder, Thornton. Our Town. New York: Harper, 1957. Print.
...fred D. “Frederick Douglass.” Encyclopedia of African-American Literature. New York: Facts on File, 2007. 144-146. Print.
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997).
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Prestwick House, Inc., 1845. Copyright 2004 by Prestwick House. All rights reserved.
In the passage Why Literature Matters by Dana Gioia, the author explains how literature and reading is beginning to drop. He builds an argument on how the decline of reading in america will have a negative effect on society. Dana Gioia uses facts and evidence to support his claim.
In “Why Literature Matters” the author, Dana Gioia, argues that literature is very important in today’s society. He talks about the decline of reading over the years and the effects it has on different companies and communities. Gioia uses many persuasive techniques, such as evidence, jingoism, and diction, to try and persuade the reader that literature is important.
Douglass, Frederick. “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987.
middle of paper ... ... Douglass, Frederick. A. A. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Atlanta: Kessinger Publishing, 2008. 8.
Print. The. Douglass, Frederick. A. A. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1995. Print.
Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself (ed. John Blassingame) Yale University Press, 2001.
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: New American Library, 1987. 243-331.
All references are to Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997).
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Professor David Hennessy, 1845.
Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1845:p.1017-1081
Literature not only facilitates social change, but is itself subject to evolution. In spite of this fact, Melville proclaims: "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it" (2:349).
Literature has many purposes, and opens doors to unique worlds. Through Literature, we discover ourselves and world time and again.