What is Literature ?

What is Literature ? 

         Here, with the experience of learning literature and how it helps me to shape myself , I would like to add my viewpoints about -What is literature ? I compare both What I was in B.A and What I am after M.A. Now , I understand that Self is  also always in the process of changing. Let's see it with my own evidences..........

        Yes, of course things are same but our perspective is changed to see towards  it with time.  With passing time , we grown up with more understanding and maturity. We learn today what we  learnt  yesterday was  wrong.  and I learn that from the literature. Literature- what does it mean? After passing these many years with literature, still it is not easy for me to define literature . But with  my confident, I would like to say that after studying literature in M.A , I am not same now.

          Now I know that literature has no boundary. It can be anything.  There are many definitions of literature. It depends on readers and individualism. To understand and reading literature under the guidance of  Dr. Dilip Barad is precious  occurrence for me which I couldn't learn in my B.A. Though I was student of literature in my B.A, I never realised it because I was not taught how to read.  I was reading texts only for entertainment and with story aspect but now I read texts with various aspects.

          After completing both B.A & M.A , I  must look at myself . I have to compare the differences and similarities within myself.  I have to differentiate between What I was then  and What I am now. because that time I have no vision or sight to read literature with vision or sight or with any particular vision. But now, I know from where we have to look towards it. I am surprised that such things are written by me.  Now , I understand that it was my ignorance or lack of knowledge of critical thinking. 

 Just look at my own write up in the image, I laugh at myself sarcastically.

   For me B.A is road to walk on but M.A gives me the direction where to go. 

I learn all these things at The Department of English and special thanks to  respected Dr. Dilip Barad.Now, I would like to look back my own write up  but fortunately,

"I was writer of this then, not now."

         Because if somebody ask me today , I write  something different.  We all learn the universal definition of literature and I was also taught the universal definition of literature that.....................

" Literature is the mirror of the society."

          During my M.A I realise that it is the half truth because it is also the X-ray image of the society .  In my B.A study , I was used to read novel line by line. I was trying to find meaning with the help of written words in the book but now I am reading texts  between the line. I am in search of  what is absent in the text.  What language try to hide from readers ?  because,

' Language is  itself corrupted.'

          I studied  'Hairy Ape, The Bluest Eye' All My sons' in my B.A but I couldn't study these texts with its deep reflections of The American society.  I just studied it with its theatrical, or story aspects but now I write about these texts with different perspective.  Now, I get the idea of X- ray image also. so, I get new definition of literature, too.

          It's amazing to look back with evidence and know what I don't know. The experience of learning  literature in M.A  gives the  tremendous  power to stand alone , to look with different perspective , be the critic, ask questions  not to be the part of crowd and most importantly to be human first.

          At last , I would like to say that In B.A I was unable to see literature as resource or I was not taught that literature is the resource to cultivate the human behaviour or nature but now I firmly believe that.....................

" Without literature Society would  be fallen apart."

          One can write 1000 books on literature but can't define what is literature. As I already said   that it changes with time and depends on readers. Literature gives the personal emotions and that's why its definition also depends on individual.  Discussing so many pints about literature , still question remain - What is literature ?

          This my outlook about literature from my perception.

" I get mine, please  search your own  what's you think about it."

How Literature shape me ? 

 According to Barbara Tuchman....................

Literature tells the story of civilization, without it history is silent, thought and speculation at a standstill.

With the habit of reading.......................

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies."

      Most of people says that literature is the  waste of time and ask what is the use of literature ?  They believe that to read literature is just a Time Pass.  Does it really ?  When I look back  then I realize that I am not the same one now after passing five years with Literature. To define literature is not easy task for me because it is wide range area or we can  define it as "Ocean". But After passing these many years with company of literature,  I am able to  say why it is the most important part of the 'life ' rather than What it is ?

    When we have good health , we never care for it and don't understand the importance of having good health. But when we lose it , we suddenly realize its importance, the same way Art and literature has the important role  in the society but we don't care until we are in danger. 

          There are so many definitions of literature.  And generally, the most famous definition is ......."Literature is the mirror of the society" but now, I can't digest only this definition because the same time ........"Literature is the X-ray Image of the society." If literature is able to give pleasant  moment of life, it is equally able to frightened anybody. 

           It reflects the darker side of the society  than only show the shining.  It is the mixture of fact and fiction. Writers tell stories which is not accepted in the society. The things which is ignored and avoided in the society, it becomes the central theme of  the literature. In real life people may be practical, but in literature they satisfy their needs showing emotions, feelings and trivia of life which can't be done in real life. In real life people may try to show themselves as Strong but with reading literature , with the journey of literature they easily Cry............

          Literature  is the best cure of soul and wash dust of mind.  It is expression of humanity. For me, Literature is heal  or also Precaution of mind.           

          Literature is not only for aesthetic delight and entertainment as I read it in my B.A but  with my M.A study now I  understand that it gives much disturbance to mind  also & lead to think about humanity and human nature also. I have studied many theories , but Deconstruction , Moral Approach , Psychoanalytical study and  Feminist approach always attract me to read the texts around it. Now, I feel the crisis between my mind and brain. Sometimes, emotions are  tried to overpower but  Rational thinking never allow to follow this. With critical thinking , literature teach me to stand individual. It teach me to be human being first then anything else. Literature teach me the capacity to listen others with peace. Don't be passionate to conclude everything because with time everything will be changed   so be the Observer not Judgmental.  Literature always gives the priority to minority and also gives the message that Majority have to care for them. In literature there is the central of human being rather than God.  That things leads me to think about human concern and its importance on earth rather than God or anything else.

Example:

When We do prayer in hostel, We normally do prayer of Hanuman or any Hindu Gods  but question remain in my mind  What about others who are  Muslims who don't know about this prayer? Sometime I try to observe them during the prayer also but because of minority they can't say anything to anybody. Though I understand the thing, I can't do anything. I just think about their mental state.  

          Literature creates totally new world and lead me far away from the society  where one can enjoy the liberty , freedom or his/her individualism. But the same time it gives  anxiety also. Though it stands for individual right , the same literature teach me that our lives are not only ours. We are connected with each other. All - human begins are responsible for everything. Here, let me remember  the poem" Each and All " from my B.A study and the lesson of Chain of Responsibility from the novel "The Sense of Ending"  from my M.A study.

          Now, I think I can understand the value of humanity. Morality and humanity  is the base of life. When I get the news of  Violence , Murders , Terrorism or any other things , I feel pain and think why they don't understand the value of life. But they are the people who never read the book , they never think about human beings and that's why they easily kill the people without any consideration How they harm the humanity.  They never feel repent because even they themselves don't know that they are doing harm of humanity. And it is really very hard to convey who believe that they are only right.

          All want to be Doctors, Engineers, Business men, CEO, or want to get highest post of anywhere but who think about  to be human being first ? No one. Only  Humanities can do it.  One who is addicted to read literature , I am sure that s/he is never same after reading it. Once you start reading literature you start the understanding of the world . Why they behaving like that particular way?  How they are situated ?  What is their pain and suffering?  After understanding we never laugh at them.

"Literature makes  real human being".

Now, I can't enjoy the company of everybody.  I have my own world and moral values which can't be compromised.  Now, I can't enjoy the silly matters or  crowd of the people who follow anyone like " Shipple."

e.g.

          I couldn't enjoy the seminar of Women Empowerment  because of the influences of  theories. How  things are diverted and then even people enjoy a  lot but I can't.  I feel suffocation because things are not right and habit of asking questions. All audiences are laughing but we  (Some friends Who know theories  and habituated to apply ) can't because we know what  is going on...................... Now , I can't accept everything without testing or examine. I never afraid to  be alone.

           Literature is not always fairy land which is told the story  love but it tells the story of  pain , violence , suffering , agony, and anxiety , exile, mystery , science , revenge and the most important that it tells the story of human nature - Universal truth. Literature teach me  escapism also.  Sometime I know things are going wrong but I can't do anything. I have to laugh sarcastically with myself only thinking that  How poor they are! or how innocence they are who don't understand that nothing is innocent.  People don't understand me  and sometime I never try because I know they can't..................

          Literature gives the liberty and freedom. But society which is prohibited or banning the things  will never build  the healthy society. While discussion was going on in class about "Nirbhya's Documentary"  we  thought How mentally sick our society is !   Sometime , I think I am outsider in this society where everybody is not able to digest such things. Literature is  able to teach  everything which can't be taught by society. Now, I easily define the thing what is good and what is bad for me as individual thinker. It teach to take responsibility rather than blaming to others.  

          The person who burns book , of course  will burn the human beings tomorrow. He never read that book. He never understand the core of book or its meaning. After getting its influences , I can't follow anybody. I don't pray in temple. I just believe in  serve of Humanity only. Now, I realize that Society never believe in Co-existence.  We are not Hindu , Muslim or Christian first, we all are human being first and then anything else. They never  think from other's perspective because they care for humanity. Literature teach me how to live life with choice not depending on chance.

          Literature help me to find  myself who am I ?  I feel that with reading books, with the journey of literature I also grown up with more maturity, cultivate the habit of thinking and understanding  human behavior and human nature easily.

              Samuel Buckets 's 'Waiting For Godot' - anxiety of  Existentialism Who am I ? And this existentialism , I never forgot because of such long 'Waiting'  but for whom I don't know, for which I  don't know   and still not only I we all are going to live in illusion that We all are Happy. ....Meaninglessness , Nothingness, absurdity of life and so on......... It  Help me to find the meaning of the life. Actually it is nothing just we have to imagine "We all are happy in our life and go on doing work as Sisyphus does"  This philosophical concern give much understanding to me for living life. I learn to leave things without arguing because everything is vain. There is no any concern in this life whether you are happy or not, whether you are alive or not. Nothing happen to this World.  Show must go on........

          Pain and suffering  or torment of human life is reflected in The African Literature. 'Things Fall Apart'  and 'The Sawmp Dweller' give much pain of the real society in which they survive.  It's all about slavery  and humiliations.  What is the nature of human being is reflected in that  literature.

          I love Nature but after reading  Robert Frost  poetry I can't believe that Nature is only Beautiful.   Earnest Hemingway's novel " The Old Man and the Sea" can't give pleasure to read. It has power to disturb the mind.  'All my sons'  and 'Hairy Ape'  give much clear reflection to dark society and Now , I think literature is all about this only not to please anybody.  Now, I have also doubt on Nature also. Nothing is innocent in the world.

          I learn that to  be critical, be individual and have a opinion of things which is more  important rather than to be right or wrong.  Decisions depends on situations and time we just do remorse on things which is already happened in our past. Life never gives second Chance because it is only one way track.  Psychologically how people are weak, they fell illness from inner side that is the reflection found in Poe's  short stories and  in one of the best novel " The Sense of an Ending". How trivial things becomes major in someone's life and suffer a lot until the death.

         We can learn science, Humanity, psychology, geography , history, philosophy, ethnicity, racism, sociology and everything from the literature.  Literature teach  me that put your point in front of  people.  Don't be afraid to be alone. There is nothing like success, there is only work. If you win people are with you and if you are defeated, they are ready to criticizes you. Don't be blind follower of anybody.  There is no one who can play your  role. There is nothing like destination during life. If there is something like ultimate truth then that is Death only.

     Obviously, it is not only positive aspect of life. I think it give much damage to mind also. It happens with me.  I like my state of isolation  but people never understand. I can't laugh on silly matters.  Always some kind of joke or any trivia lead me into deep thinking and I try to connect with life.  How things are going on.  Sometime I can't enjoy my  own understanding. Because Now I realize that..............

" Maturity and understanding harm me."

" Ignorance is bliss but now I can't enjoy because I know What I Know ".

 It agitate me.  If I want to laugh then even I can't.  Sometime Mind and Brain are struggling. Examples of different characters lead me in my life and sometime it helps to take  decision also.

          Literature makes human beings  those who read it only. It is the self help to be good human being in the society. One can suggest only to read it can't read it instead of  others. If you want to feel the changes , you must read literature.  It is amazing experience of my life to know or to read myself  with literature.

           

Ho

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