This post is a summary of four texts: 1) "Literature." in En.Wikipedia.org - 2) The title above in JournalPulp.com - 3)"Literature is the mirror of society." in GulfNews.com - 4) "Importance of literature." in Classiclit.about.com
Literature is the art of written work. The word 'literature' literally means "things made from letters." Is commonly classified as having two major forms: fiction and non-fiction and two major techniques: poetry and prose. Literature may consist of texts based on factual information, as well as on original imagination.
Literature is the art-form of language, and words are its tools. As a painter uses paint, as a musician use musical instruments, as a sculptor uses stone-and-chisel, so a writer uses words, what philosopher call abstractions. Abstractions are the human method of grasping things in nature. Our brains work by means of abstractions, which are, in essence, words. Art by definition is communication between the artist and the audience. If it is not communicable, it is not art. If in your literature you reject the notion that language is definite, you will not know the meaning of the things you are trying to communicate.
Literature has had a major impact on the development of society. It has shaped civilizations, changed political systems and exposed injustice. Literature gives us a preview of human experiences allowing us to connect on basic levels of desire and emotion. While most students agree that literature is crucial for the advancement of society, many could not name a book they recently read. "By reading narratives, we can empathise and understand others," said Judith Caesar, English professor at the American University of Sharjah(AUS). "Literature teaches us to analyse a character, what shapes his or her beliefs and how one related to others. We can only analyse once we understand and look beyond the obvious," said Saad Faroogi, an English literature major at AUS. So the significance of literature has been confirmed, both over time and human understanding. However, despite student awareness of the importance of literature, is today`s youth seeking that deeper level of knowledge? "We are at an age of 'videoacy' rather 'literacy'. It does not matter how they deliver their messages, people need different channels to express themselves," said William Haney, head of the English department at AUS. While a book may take a month to finish, a movie could convey the same message in just two hours. However, what students do not see is that 'quick fixes' may not be providing them with the full and accurate message. "One of main qualities of literature is that it is open to interpretation. People will not stop reading because they are watching films, both satisfy the need for a narrative. The two rather overlap." Said Judith Caesar.
It is curious and prevalent opinion that literature, like all art, is a mere play of imagination, pleasing enough, like a new novel, but without any serious or practical importance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Literature preserves the ideals of a people, and ideals ( love, faith, friendship, freedom, etc) are part of human life most worthy of preservation. It was simply the ideals of the Greeks, Hebrews and Romans, preserved in their literature,which made them what they were and which determine their values to future generations. In a word, our whole civilization, our freedom, our progress, our homes, our religions, rest solidly upon ideals for their foundations. Nothing but an ideal ever endures upon earth. It is therefore impossible to estimate the practical importance of literature, which preserves these ideals from fathers to sons. Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty, it is the written record of the spirit of man, of his thoughts, it is the history, and the only history of the human soul.
