Literature.
The word just looks boring. Very English – very old – very stuffy. Not anything you want much to do with. It sounds like something over-educated, non-working white-hairs from the motherland sit around and talk about all day because they have nothing better to do. I mean, the word itself dates back to the 14th century.
The definition, as given on dictionary.com is a noun meaning “writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, and poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.” Somehow, that doesn’t exactly make it sound better.
Maybe it’s because I just completed two literature classes and a minor in English, but I would definitely argue that while literature and the concept of literature may be very old, the importance it holds has not faded – if anything it grows even stronger and even more important as time goes on. Like wine, it simply gets better with age.
Views of Literature
Reading has a wide range of benefits to an individual. It can expand vocabulary, educate on world issues and cultures, improve memory and self-discipline, increase the flow of one’s creative juices, and last but not least, entertain.
Nonetheless, I know only a small handful of my peers that are willing to sit down and enjoy a piece of good literature that has shaped the culture of the world that we live in. I quote a recent saying from one of my friends while hiking, “I refuse to read it because there are too many words.” We weren’t even talking about some ancient work that is hard to get through. We were talking about Harry Potter – books that are written at around a 4th or 5th grade reading level. For some reason, people to day have become less willing to work for their entertainment. We’ve been spoiled by television to the point that all we want to do in our free time is to allow our bodies and minds to vegetate.
At the mere mention of Shakespeare, many people retreat back and throw up their hands in frustration. They say he’s boring, or they can’t understand his language use, or they’re just not into it.
Historical and Cultural Benefits of Literature
While all three of those could be legitimate reasons depending on the person, Shakespeare is most definitely one of the most important literary influences. He was a genius – he created entertainment that was intriguing to even the toughest audiences of his day. In fact, many movies, books, and sayings we are very familiar with and love so much today either come directly from him or were influenced by him. For example, the commonly know phrase “dead as a doornail” came from Shakespeare’s Henry IV.
As stated above, there are a number of intellectual benefits to reading that will help a person’s thought process in addition to providing entertainment. Another is that literature will help readers understand what everyday life was like in that time period and / or what moral and political issues were important.
Literature, especially classic literature, gives people a greater appreciation for history in a non-historical way. Themes of everyday life remain the same even though times are certain to change. Reading a work of fiction written one hundred or more years ago and being able to visualize and understand the events gives the reader a special connection to time periods past. Readers can also look at what is happening in these works and identify how certain things would be different or similar in the context of today.
In addition, ancient literature and the evolution of it throughout time speaks greater than any actual historical documents about the ways of life and political and moral views of people living in a certain place and time. For example, the most ancient “Cinderella” tale can be traced back to China – possibly explaining why it was so important for her to have such small feet. However, many different strands of the tale developed with different outstanding elements; some being small feet, talking trees, magical fish, a fairy godmother, an evil step-family, troubled fathers, and even incest. When these different elements are interpreted, they tell what types of things were pervasive in a give culture; good and bad.
Popular Culture
However, with the advent of radio entertainment, then movies, then television, people have lost interest interest in literature at an almost exponential rate. Which is unfortunate, because everyday life is full of references – both literal and abstract.
Lately, some of the most popular blockbusters have been derived from literature. Movies based off of books by Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility) have become increasingly popular – along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Narnia, and Harry Potter. In addition, the most popular tales of ancient literature like Cinderella and tales from Arabian Nights have been told and retold in countless ways.
Often times today, “watching the movie” is seen as being just as good as taking the time to read the book. Even better actually, because it only takes a couple of hours. This could be true if you’re trying to cram a lot into a short period of time, but it does not allow for the benefits of reading to develop within an individual, and will even go in the other direction of causing some of the bad side effects of television watching – such as a shorter attention span.
Conclusion
In short, literature is not something to be tossed to the wayside. It is a valuable tool in understanding culture and history, and even for creating modern entertainment. And one of the coolest things about it is that it is still being created today. Take the Harry Potter books for example. The first one has only been in circulation for fifteen years, and already Harry is a household name all over the world. And there is even a theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opening this summer.
I rest my case. The End.
