literature is an expression of life literature is an expression of life

Mrs. Bennets aspiration for social rise continues and intensifies. There is more to literature than just storytelling though. Her sister had married their fathers clerk who had succeeded him in business. What is Structure in Writing and How Does it Affect Meaning? Literature is a form of writing that communicates ideas, concepts, and themes from the writer to the reader. Through these philosophers contributions to literature, not only did they craft an artistic convergence of words, but exposed logic and ideas as well. In order to limit the spread of ideas and information, the government imposed a substantial stamp duty on newspapers, which the working class press was unable to afford. In Les Misrables, Victor Hugo devotes entire chapters to the Napoleonic Wars and the 1832 June Rebellion. A band of caribou passed by, twenty and odd animals, tantalizingly within rifle range. There are many who believe in a persona/ God; others worship an all-pervasive Presence in this Universe. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The oratory of the American Indian, for instance, is famous, while in Classical Greece, Polymnia was the muse sacred to poetry and oratory. But this temporary aberration, which Austens genius captures with the alertness and clarity of an expert photographer, results from the momentary reversal of their fortunes. His political views and life experiences have given him a unique perspective and captivating expression. In contrast to culture and values, ideas can be more isolated thoughts and are not necessarily tied to a particular social group or moral stance. A dramatic literary technique used by the author? Like her, she is also without keen intelligence. It's important not to generalize and stereotype people according to the customs associated with particular groups, but very often, people take pride in their culture since it's often the product of a long line of history. But unlike in France, the distinctions were not rigid. They explain their way of life. Or is there another explanation? He would like to rent a large house, until he is ready to buy an estate of his own. This website helped me pass! She finds nothing wrong in eloping, her sense of right and wrong coming from her mother. He belongs to a wealthy, distinguished family, and used to consider contact with anyone outside his social sphere a pollution. It is about the Bennets and their neighbours the Lucases in the village of Longbourn. In a novel, like in life, we experience the highs and lows of emotions. This will gain him Georgianas fortune of thirty thousand pounds, as well as entry into the house, he need no longer be restricted to the employees quarters. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Pemberley that had been the seat of the distinguished family of the Darcys is now open to the relations of Elizabeth. The social climate sanctioned this aspiration. England had seen its own revolution a century earlier. It does not store any personal data. Everything that happens within a society can be written, recorded in, and learned from a piece of literature. He hates to move in social circles outside his own. Collins, the Bennet girls cousin, has very humble beginnings. Life is full of them too. The English aristocrat gave up his superiority, and saved his head, unlike his French counterparts who absolutely refused to bow down, and ultimately lost all. Some writers describe them explicitly. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. GACE English (520): Practice & Study Guide, GACE English: Elements & Language of Literature, How an Author's Life Influences Literary Works, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Drawing Inspiration from Historical Texts, Interpreting Literary Meaning: How to Use Text to Guide Your Interpretation, Methods of Characterization in Literature, Point of View in Fiction: First Person, Third Person & More, Understanding Tone and Mood in a Reading Passage, Figurative Language: Definition & Examples, How Dialogue Reveals Aspects of a Character. It appears inexplicable, unless Darcy is really as boorish as Elizabeth comes to believe. New canons of literary criticism need to be evolved that discover the knowledge of life in literature. All of the worlds classic surveys of history can stand as noble examples of the art of literature, but most historical works and studies today are not written primarily with literary excellence in mind, though they may possess it, as it were, by accident. When authors express their culture, they do so, not by presenting a single value or idea, but rather by demonstrating how their values and ideas play out in daily life. Salinger show a depiction of what it means to be an outsider or an individualist in society. He finds employment in the church in Rosings Park, Lady Catherines estate. This article uses Jane Austens 19th century novel Pride and Prejudice to illustrate the power of literature as a source of knowledge that transcends the insights of history, sociology, psychology, philosophy and conventional literary criticism. This led Aristotle to affirm that the proper subject of poetry is human action. Pre Socratic and Socratic philosophers. Most theories of literary criticism base themselves on an analysis of poetry, because the aesthetic problems of literature are there presented in their simplest and purest form. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. At the time, the country's political system enforced racial segregation and yet, despite this oppressive system, a culture developed among the people living in informal settlements, which blended the glamour of 1950s America with their own culture. Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who was a victim of the Holocaust during the reign of Hitler in Nazi Germany, was only an innocent youth when she wrote a diary that details her life and struggles as a captive during that time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Both philosophy and literature in as much as they represent a search for truth, for answers to a whole range of vital questions each turn to a formal structure which of necessity is the expression of an attitude to life. Both of them had parted, wishing never to meet each other. In short, by climbing into the minds of other characters and worlds in stepping outside of ourselves literature allows us to understand universal truths; change minds; stir empathy; and express our identities and values in lasting, far-reaching ways. If one novel can provide us such a perspective of human history, what would a deeper understanding of all literature give us? Expanding horizons. Literature and Life Gilles Deleuze Translated by Daniel W. Smith and Michael A. Greco To write is certainly not to impose a form (of expression) on the matter of lived experience. He is perhaps the one person in Meryton who sees through Wickham from day one. Literature entertains and educates us. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen shows the unmistakable connections between the inner and outer worlds. Copyright. Author of. Kitty knows about Lydias planned elopement, but does not bother to inform her parents. Costumbrist literature. Mark Twain Biography & Works | What is Mark Twain Known For? If Elizabeth has got the best combination from her parents, the exact opposite seems to have been reserved for the next daughter. Lydia is foolish, strong willed and full of energy. This blog post shares examples of how literature has changed over the years in response to society and life without forgetting the lessons that it offers on those same subjects. It results at a macro level, in a gradual merging of various diverse sections of people and social groups. To understand what literature is, you first need to decide what it isnt. He wrote novels that aimed to threaten the Spanish Empire during the colonization of the Philippines by Spain. Some or perhaps all of these great truths were known to the ancients but forgotten or rejected by the modern mind so preoccupied with the external appearances of things. It does not deal with the particular society of a particular community but with society as a whole or in its entirety. which provides aesthetic pleasure to the readers. Not only the views challenging the monarchy, but any view that seemed to question the status quo in society, be it the social structure, law, government policy, or the power of the church was considered treasonous. Experiential, subjective truths that touch the emotions have a greater learning impact than abstract scientific knowledge in a textbook.. Their longings are fulfilled. Literature reflects life and its circumstances. Jane and Lydia happen to be her favourite children. Is there such a thing as chance? One example of people. She believes only in taking initiative. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Many writers used their writing to protest this oppression and promote reform. Literature, in this sense, must emancipate the mind from its limitations; arouse it to a consciousness of the dynamic urge of life. Literature revives the debate which science ignores or dismisses as unscientific. But Mr. Bennet sees the truth behind the development. These texts almost always tell us something about the person who wrote them, whether this is done consciously or not. Austen shows how those who bowed to change, gracefully or otherwise, survive. She declares she will have nothing to do with the couple anymore. Whereas in France, the impenetrable walls of class compelled violent revolution. Just as parents are able to identify most with the children who are like themselves, they seem to identify least with the children who are most like the partner, especially in a not so harmonious partnership as in the case of the Bennets. Life is not . But in every dialogue and description, Austen captures truths of society. Cricket, football, or any other sport would have served the purpose, it was the underlying principle. But Austen has consciously or subconsciously exquisitely captured many of these truths of life with the apparent effortlessness of a true master. At the end of the story, they have all become interconnected through marriage. Three or four families in a country village is the very thing to work on, Austen advised her niece in a letter, and her novel Pride and Prejudice seems to be just such a story. Austen has captured such minute elements of human psychology in her portrayal of the Bennet family. Luck? It was her critics who have missed the point for over two centuries. As long as our world lives, so does literature flourish. Balancing her own life now, the act of renaming "Swept Up" to "Balancing Act" holds a significant meaning to her. The purpose of this essay is to examine literary creativity within the context that views all sides of the coin. Janani Ramanathan. Of course, without the arrival of Bingley and Darcy at this place and time, there is no story, no Pride and Prejudice. View our whole range of product literature and documentation for our pensions and Investments. Appropriate approach makes all the difference. The writer need not even pursue it to attain it. The connection between literature and life is intimate and vital. Poetry that expresses intensely individual views and sentiments, novels that depict the manners of a limited class of community or deal with highly specialised problems, cannot surely be of the same level as are Tulsidass Ramcharitmanas or Kritibass Ramayana, which had and still have a mass appeal. While there are some who take perfection of form to be the chief pre-occupation of literature, many more are inclined to the view that the primary value of literature is its human significance. And this perspective is only a fraction of what Pride and Prejudice itself can offer. Create your account, 30 chapters | (SC286833) at Standard Life House, 30 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2DH. Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is the written record of man's spirit, of his thoughts, emotions, aspirations; it is the history, and the only history, of the human soul. In 1789, discussion and comment on the Revolution were prohibited on theater stages. It contains the thoughts, reflections and observations of people in a certain society, which reflects their lifestyle and culture. She portrays what is happening around her in so subtle a manner that we almost miss it. Can literature give us the knowledge to make sense of apparent coincidences? Literary criticism is an Occidental science, an attempt to apply the analytic mental faculty to the comprehension of that which cannot be divided, for Life is an integrated whole that can only be understood in totality and in context. Even fiction could not broach on a radical idea. She is steeped in class consciousness, and tries to maintain the old order. She had two brothers in the navy, and one in the army. The . Bradbury has given an accurate representation of the society leading to an end. He realises that a huge amount of money must have changed hands before this can be brought about. Darcy gives an uncharacteristic response in return. The merging of two ends of the classes is reflected again here. He never considers another explanation because he lives in an age in which knowledge of life has been reduced to a philosophical abstraction rather than a living vision of reality. The quotation appears in Act 1 Scene 2 and is spoken by Cassius, one of the conspirators. They did not expect to meet Bingley, and do not care to meet Darcy. It has evolved to reflect the changes that happen in the world. No creativity, not even in a tale of fantasy or science fiction, can describe something that is untouched by the trends and values of society, either current or pertaining to some period in history. His daughter, Charlotte, is an unmarried twenty seven year old girl without beauty or fortune. I also believe that music has the ability to convey all sorts of emotions. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Most great dramas are considered literature (although the Chinese, possessors of one of the worlds greatest dramatic traditions, consider their plays, with few exceptions, to possess no literary merit whatsoever). Literature is the foundation of life. Life brings this disparate group together as they all walk or ride into Meryton at the same time. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. Thus, there is the vital and intimate connection between literature and life which is inseparable. Her sister, brother and their families are welcome at Longbourn, and her own daughters visit them in Meryton and London regularly. He had been fairly successful and left his daughter with 4000 pounds. He is not mercenary. To Lady Catherines great indignation, Elizabeth does marry Darcy and enter Pemberley. Biology starts from the first living cell and describes life. Darcy follows Bingley readily enough to his new estate, Netherfield Hall. Physics starts with constants and explains matter. Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address is known to every American schoolchild. Their meetings and pamphlets received wide attention. In Act IV of Hamlet, Hamlets uncle, King Claudius, dispatches the young prince to England as a representative to the English king accompanied by two courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who have been secretly missioned by Claudius to ensure that Hamlet never returns alive to Denmark. He does not attempt to control his wife or discipline his daughters. 222 years on, life has obediently given Austen spectacular fame. Literature is an interpretation of life; the writer interprets the life in his own way and gives a commentary over it in his work. Be it Mrs. Bennets lack of sense, Lydias wild behavior, Janes disappointment, or Elizabeths concerns, he is a bystander, laughing silently. Literature gives a voice to people who dont have one and it allows us to empathize with people who are different than we are. Kelly argues that Austens conscious or subconscious attitudes are depicted through her characterizationssuch as in a comic clergyman and a boorish aristocrat. Her constant mood swings and irrational behavior are beyond others understanding. That is how the sons of traders are able to enter higher social circles and daughters of country attorneys can marry the landed gentry. What is a Ballad Poem? Colonization and expanding trade were beginning to change the economic climate of the country. It reveals not only insights of individual and social character but of the character of Life itself. It depends upon the writer where he places the mirror. Broad categories are suggested for the study of death: some authors give personal accounts of their impending death or their sense of bereavement; some . The diary became known as The Diary of a Young Girl and was one of the most read books in the twentieth century, with the readers sympathizing the victims of the genocide geared towards the Jews in the Second World War. Mindless violence rapidly replaced the ideals of the Revolution across the English Channel. The same goes with the Quran for Muslims, Torah for the Jews, and the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana and Veda for the Hindus. England was thus spared a revolution because it adopted a peaceful evolution. Since the beginning of time, people have had a need to express their thoughts and feelings through some form of art. He firmly establishes himself near it, first by acquiring Lady Catherine as his patroness, then when his cousin marries Darcy. Biologists try to explain everything from the advent of the first living cell onwards: when and where life first appeared, how the plant kingdom became diversified, how animal life first appeared in the sea and then spread and evolved into complex species, how some species became extinct and others adapted and survived. But all that Mr. Bennet cares for is to enjoy his wifes disappointment. Authors, printers and publishers could be prosecuted for seditious libel, a tactic used by the government to silence criticism and quell any demand for reform. Literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they have experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about those aspects of it which have the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us. 2. He lacks the energy and mental will for the task. Jane and Bingley wish to marry pleasant, mild mannered people, and they find each other. Later, Wickham carries out something similar with Lydia, the youngest Bennet girl. Our mission is to liberate knowledge. The scope of literature Literature is a form of human expression. Opines that reading novels, magazines, and literary works gives us a broader perspective of viewing things, improves skills, instills knowledge and makes us aware of various aspects of life. Pride and Prejudice begins with news of the arrival of a wealthy bachelor, Charles Bingley, at Netherfield Hall in Hertfordshire. As a reaction to her mothers boorishness, she develops the opposite, a pleasing social behaviour. If we take this science to study the arts, then, instead of beginning a story by implicitly accepting the initial conditions, a new and intriguing question arises: what happened before the beginning, before the Big Bang! Elizabeth and Darcy wish to marry those they can respect and love. What Is Literature? In Europe, Martin Luther, the German monk most famous for the reformation of the Christian church during the Renaissance Era, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a cathedral to inform the townspeople about the Roman Catholic Churchs corruption of riches and tithes. "She passed away at the ripe old age of 95." Awkward Age. Austen captures this same movement in numerous events in the story. His friend Bingley becomes engaged to the eldest Bennet girl, Jane, and the story concludes with the double weddings of the two friends with the two sisters. He would like to go to the country for the summer, to a place not too far away from the attractions of London. I think people who see literature as an embodiment of life can love both their life and also literature. "Love is a great beautifier." -Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist and short-story writer. Oratory, the art of persuasion, was long considered a great literary art. Literature has been with us since humans began to use words to tell their stories and describe their world. He does not find any girl good enough to dance with. We need to delve deeper into the context, circumstances and individual character of the players to discover principles and forces that are concealed by the veil of chance and accident. But he makes Bingley his friend and accepts the invitation to go to Hertfordshire. Everything that has rhythm has music. Claudius sealed letter to the English monarch denounces Hamlet as a traitor and threat to his realm and calls on the English king to remove the threat. She is strong, seems to have infinite energy, and never gives up. Shakespeare critic A.C. Bradley talks about Jane Austens surpassing excellence within that comparatively narrow sphere whose limits she never tried to overpass which gives her in that sphere the position held by Shakespeare in his. If such knowledge of human psychology can be learnt from one of the six novels written in Austens narrow sphere, then what is the learning potential from Shakespeare and other great writers! A wide range of texts, principally but not exclusively from the English language tradition, is used to illustrate themes . Hear Clinton Terrell share his experience of going from solitary confinement to UC Berkeley. Once upon a time, In the year 1856, There once lived in a village, In the kingdom of, It was a sunny morning, and so on. Through the characters and events in the story, Austen makes a critical social statement in an atmosphere that does not permit her to state her case more explicitly. Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is the written record of man's spirit, of his thoughts, emotions, aspirations; it is the history, and the only history, of the human soul. Ernest Hemingway But once he reveals his identity and offers them a reward, he readily secures swift transport back to Denmark where he pursues his confrontation with Claudius that ultimately ends tragically in the death of Claudius, the queen, Laertes and the prince himself. In Charles Dickens David Copperfield, the Industrial Revolution and its impact on Britain form the backdrop of the protagonist Davids life. This silent evolution that saved England its revolution is captured in Austens romance of Elizabeth and Darcy, who hail from different echelons of society. Her aspiration is so great she simply seems to draw eligible men from all parts of England towards Longbourn. Literature is great because of its universality. Not only Pride and Prejudice, any of Shakespeares plays or the works of Hugo, Dumas, Trollope, Hardy, Tolstoy or the great Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana suffice for the purpose of discovering the character of life and its ruling principles. And like the scientist who in recent centuries has acquired more and more powerful instruments to delve more deeply into the mysteries of the infinitesimal and the infinite, we shall find that great literature offers an unending revelation both of the minute details revealed by critical analysis and the integral knowledge offered by a synthesis that exceeds the limitations of mental logic to reveal the logic of the infinite. It is an art that helps in understanding life through the lives of many other people. It reflects what society was like when the literature was written, and also how life was at that time. It places an emphasis on many topics, from human life to tales of love. The World in Transit: Going Beyond Myopic Visions, The Future of Democracy: Challenges & Prospects, The Future of the Nation-state in an Era of Globalization, Literature as a Key to Understanding People, Society and Life, Book Review of Come On! However, when we look beneath the surface of the story, we find the clear impact of the movement across the Channel on British society. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Early in the story, the Bennet girls go out for a walk and have an interesting encounter. Literature is the foundation of humanitys cultures, beliefs, and traditions. Raymond Williams, author and critic, uses her own classic opening line to summarize his criticism of her work: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Austen chose to ignore the decisive historical events of her time. But Austen did not ignore anything. Definitions of the word literature tend to be circular. Do aspects of the non-physical plane, such as our words, thoughts, emotions and attitudes have the power to manifest themselves in the physical plane? It is the expression of thoughts, and society. It has shaped civilisations, changed political systems and exposed injustice. And she becomes the first! time of life bane of (one's) existence be (all) part of life's rich pageant be (all) part of life's rich tapestry be (as) warm as life be (one's) life Collins is without any other expectation than to marry one of the elder Bennet girls. There is a constant tension, sometimes humorous, sometimes bitter, between Mrs. and Mr. Bennet. In the second place, by drawing the attention of the people to the emerging truths of life, literature should lead the people forward to a higher plane of life and thought. She is unable to understand, let alone accept, change. Literature is a reflection of the society is a fact that has been widely acknowledged. Deriving from the Latin littera, a letter of the alphabet, literature is first and foremost humankinds entire body of writing; after that it is the body of writing belonging to a given language or people; then it is individual pieces of writing. To better understand this, let's compare a work of popular fiction with a literary classic. He felt a wild desire to run after them, a certitude that he could run them down. Platos Allegory of the Cave speaks about the importance of human wisdom and the penalties that one would face to achieve a higher level of understanding. Art for arts sake, pursuit of pure beauty through art, the creation of a literary or artists masterpiece as an end in itselfare now falling into disfavor. As such, we might find out more about an authors' culture (social customs of a particular group of people), their values (beliefs that are closely tied to your perspective of what is right or wrong), and their ideas (more isolated thoughts about a particular topic). Literature in the present generation still exists as an expression of art, a source of knowledge, and an instrument of entertainment. 1. He is also a changed man now, and renews his relationship with Elizabeth after a long abrupt hiatus. Encoding and decoding One of the central issues impacting the study of emotional expression concerns the distinction between a He had happened to receive a knighthood, and promptly closed shop to retire in the country and enjoy his knighthood. He is also intelligent. Literature reflects life. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It is on the record that on that July day in 1789 when the Bastille was stormed, some 300 miles away in Hampshire, the Earl of Winchilsea was playing cricket, and was bowled out before he could score a single run, by an untitled man named William Bullen. Details such as the main character's use of the phonotelephote, a device which enables ''the transmission of images by means of sensitive mirrors connected by wires,'' to communicate with his wife overseas in a way where he can see her, may seem silly in our current context of Skype and cell phones, but they serve as examples of the ideas someone living in the 19th century had regarding the future. "I don't feel swept up anymore, but I do feel the need to stay . Herein lies its power and universal appeal. The connection between literature and life is both important and vital. If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for. Literature, as an imitation of human action, often presents a picture of what people think, say and do in the society. Life is manifested in the form of literature. - Definition, Structure & Examples, Introduction to Medieval Literature: Old English, Middle English, and Historical Context, Style in Fiction: Dialect & Figures of Speech, Ode on a Grecian Urn by Keats: Analysis and Summary, Literature in Society Overview & Role | How Literature Shapes Society. Literature is the artistic expression of thought, which is replete with feelings and imagination. Bingleys sister Caroline teases Darcy over his future mother-in-law Mrs. Bennet, all the while hoping to marry Darcy herself.