Literature and television gives audiences the ability to learn about the human condition and what it means to be human from the comfort of their homes. These entertainment genres are rarely compared or even discussed in the same cultural spheres, yet both had similarities in 1998. Four novels that made The New York Times Best Seller List had familiar themes such as life lessons, friendship, advocating for others, and selflessness that grabbed readers. These themes also carried over into television programs providing viewers with exciting shows to watch, enjoy and that entertained.
Learning life’s lessons have always been an important topic to impart in both literary works and on television shows. Tuesdays with Morrie was a bestselling novel
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The situation comedy Friends was a great example of unconditional friendship. The show “follows the lives of six twenty-something year old’s who live in the same apartment complex and face life together in the Big Apple.” (Wikipedia) For ten seasons the show was a huge success and placed the group in many circumstances that might have destroyed their friendship. It demonstrated to its audience that real friends will always be friends and that we should accept our friends’ weird quirks and habits just as they accept ours. The second wildly successful novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released by author J.K. Rowling in 1998. This bestselling book follows three friends Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley; in their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they solve a mystery. The book teaches readers that it’s OK to ask for help from your friends and that true friends will always be there for you. Both the television show and book demonstrate that real friendships can get people through …show more content…
Maybe it’s a fascination with blood and gore or we’re intrigued by others’ suffering? The problems that the character’s face in those dramas could happen to any of us. It makes them relatable, and we learn through their fictional experiences. In 1998, the famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey recommended a new book to her audience called Midwives. The medical drama shot to number one. “Midwives is a novel about a midwife; someone who is trained to assist a woman in childbirth; that was put on trial for the death of one of her clients.” (Wikipedia) She like most medical professionals’ feels responsible for human life and has trained to save it. That same year the most popular medical drama on television was ER, which aired for fifteen seasons. It was the story of an emergency room in Chicago, where doctors dealt with personal and professional crisis’ every day. A day in the frantic hospital showed many interesting dilemmas and heartwarming choices that viewers loved. Both Midwives and ER struck a chord with audiences and taught us about altruistic health care professionals. People have always turned to literature and television for entertainment. Modern forms have attempted to convey meaning and purpose hidden underneath the suspense or laughter that they evoke. Great television and literature are rarely in the same cultural spheres, yet they both have the abilities to let us escape into
Not only educational shows accomplish these goals, but fictional television programs can often incorporate information that requires viewers to grapple with a topic using logical reasoning and a global consciousness. In addition, not to diminish the importance of reading, television reaches those who may never pick up a book or who might struggle with reading problems, enabling a broader spectrum of people to interact with cognitive topics. Veith has committed the error of making generalizations about two forms of media when, in truth, the situation varies depending on quality and content. However, what follows these statements is not just fallacious, but
Television is very popular in our society. But, what makes television so beloved? Is it the actors and actresses, the suspense, the quality, the humor, or the romance? While many of these aspects connect to why television is popular, the main reason is that watching television helps avoid problems, and gives a momentary happiness. These aspects are present in the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, where in their society books are banned and television is overpowering.
To begin with, the narrator provides research and graphs to show how people feel as they watch different shows. Furthermore, she gets into other research about television, except this time about interests, for instance, inspiration state and moral ambiguity state, comfort, social commentary, and irrelevance, and fantasy and imagination.
The entirety of Ray Bradbury’s life revolved around literature. Ever since Bradbury was a child, he had possessed an affinity towards to writing. Bradbury’s writings were not purely influenced by his passion of literature, however. Growing up the author would’ve learned about the frail nature of books: the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, the Nazi’s book burnings, and Stalin’s “Great Purge”. Bradbury also witnessed the golden age of radio and its transition into the golden age of television, all of which Bradbury believed detracted from the beauty and knowledge that could be attained through a written medium. The American author worried about the fall of his beloved literate dreams.
Amusing Ourselves To Death by Neil Postman is written based on Postman’s opinion that television has impacted the level of public discourse in America in a negative way. Postman begins the story by talking about two significant books: 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. In this book, Postman plans to talk about how things in the world, inspired by television, have proved that our world is turning into the one he’s read about in the stories stated above.
The definition of “literature” has never been a consistent one. For some, literature can be as broadly defined as the word “rhetoric”; yet others prefer a more definitive interpretation, limited to certain media with explicit qualifications. Literature, and its definition, it seems, are hidden in a dark, nebulous haze of uncertainty. However, the truth is that the definition of literature can be easily derived from modern-day concept, context, and from the word itself.
Steven Johnson wrote an article for the New York Times in which he argues that back in the days, television shows use to have a very simple plot which was easy to follow without too much attention. It was just an other way to sit back and relax. However, throughout the years, viewers grew tired of this situation and demanded more complex plot lines with multiple story lines that related to recent news topics. He takes the example of the television show “24”. “24” is known for being the first show which its plot occurs in “real-time”, it is also known for not censuring the violence of its topics. It is a drastic change from what Johnson states as an example “Starsky and Hutch” where basically each episodes was only a repetition of the last one. Johnson also believes that there is a misconception of the mass culture nowadays where people think the television viewer wants dumb shows which in response makes them dumber. Johnson does not agree, for him, television shows such as “24” are “nutritional”. He also states that sm...
George Gerbner has claimed that the ‘power in society’ lies in the hands of the individuals that tell the stories. Additionally, that then’s modern-day Television was the major source of storytelling for the majority of the population. Consequently, if the storyteller is the power-holder, than, the ‘power in society’ is in the hands of Television; most of the time. Gerbner’s statement and analysis are both true and evidence of that truth can be seen throughout pop culture, politics, and education. This quote was before Television became the monolith that it is today and it is still true today but more so because you can access it anywhere you want. Television doesn't just tell stories in the entertainment kind of sense, it provides a window
Television adds many qualities to the nineties life. This is even true of the prime time teen angst drama. Dawson’s Creek (classified with the above prime time teen angst drama) can and does contribute interesting qualities to a written work. This show is a prime example of social interactions. Every character is at least acquainted with every other character, which gives the watcher the chance to see one character in many different situations. The word situation does not always mean social interaction though. Situations encompass the setting also. In television the set is made to be large, bright, and overall catching to the eye. Since a television screen is so small all of the important aspects of the set are brought forth they are easily viewed. This show of blatant importance can help an author decide on what is a really important part of their literature. Television though is not the only tool a writer can take advantage of. Indeed movies can also be of great importance.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
Tuesdays with Morrie, written by Mitch Albom, is a story of the love between a man and his college professor, Morrie Schwartz. This true story captures the compassion and wisdom of a man who only knew good in his heart and lived his life to the fullest up until the very last breath of his happily fulfilled life. When Mitch learned of Morrie’s illness, the began the last class of Morrie’s life together and together tried to uncover “The Meaning of Life.” These meetings included discussions on everything from the world when you enter it to the world when you say goodbye. Morrie Schwartz was a man of great wisdom who loved and enjoyed to see and experience simplicity in life, something beyond life’s most challenging and unanswered mysteries. Morrie was a one of a kind teacher who taught Mitch about the most important thing anyone can ever learn: life. He taught Mitch about his culture, about trust, and perhaps most importantly, about how to live.
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
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 has many purposes, and opens doors to unique worlds. Through Literature, we discover ourselves and world time and again.
The main form of literature, the book, has had a great impact upon the formation of our society today. Before the 1940’s TV had not come into being yet and there was not much else to do other than read books. Thus books formed my grandparents and to some extent my parents and, although I grew up in the generation of TV, books as literature have indirectly formed me as well.