Books Are Humanity in Print

British Lit Final Exam

May 26, 2010

Books Are Humanity in Print,

The human race is known for change; it has evolved from prehistoric ‘cavemen’, ancient empires, and Vikings to aristocratic monarchies, democracies, and dictatorships. With each passing year, there are technological advancements, changing political platforms, and a progressively mobile worldwide population. Each literary era reflects the human feats, lifestyles, and changing times: Anglo-Saxon epics consist of glory battle scenes, bloodied warriors, and feuding countries; Middle English works consist of glorified knights, the chivalric code, and a greedy, materialistic court; and, modern literary classics depict worlds of which the human race is ruled by technology. From ancient Greek mythology to the next big literary classic, the era in which a work is written reflects the period in which it was penned.

Centuries before the introduction of the printing press and written history, historical events were passed down through oral accounts to which people could take artistic liberties without a soul knowing. Spanning six-hundred years, the Anglo-Saxon period is one filled with feuding tribes, invading empires, and the spreading of Christianity to the British Isles.

The anonymously authored epic poem, Beowulf, illustrates the era through its mixture of religion, fate, and feudal systems. Beowulf portrays the Anglo-Saxon period as one ruled by warfare and the love of revenge, making people pawns in the ruling powers quest for land, power, guts, gold, and glory; however, the poem intertwines pagan and Christian beliefs signifying the changing times. During the Anglo-Saxon period, Romans, Anglos, Saxons, and Jutes invaded the isles and made the isles a war zone wi...

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... Huxley’s dystopian novel.

Each generation witnesses new feats, new lifestyles, and new ideas of how the world is and how it should be. The works of art that are produced during that time period are reflective of the shifting world. Literature contains many genres that attract a variety of different people; however, each literary classic that is taught in the classroom reflect the changing history of the world and how humanity has evolved throughout the centuries. To put it simply, “books are humanity in print.”

Works Cited

Tuchman, Barbara W. ""Books Are Humanity in Print"" Thinkexist Quotations. Web. 24 May 2010. .

Tuchman, Barbara W. ""Books Are Humanity in Print"" Thinkexist Quotations. Web. 24 May 2010. .