literature is an expression of life
He has given up trade since the wealthy did not work or need to earn a living. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". of society on literature and to assess the position and the role of literature is particularly cultivated and professed by those who had a specific social philosophy to advance. The choice turns out to be a subtle indication. Political science Subject deals with systems of governance and the analysis of political activities, political, Mithuas Blog: One of the most important steps we can take towards achieving our greatest, Learning never stops and the current crises have proved that. "If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.". This absolute rigidity resulted in the French aristocrats losing their heads to the guillotine. He had been fairly successful and left his daughter with 4000 pounds. Austen takes this girl who has been visiting Longbourn estate for many years to meet her friends the Bennets, and makes her its mistress. The more subtle the message, the more powerful it comes across. The greatest literature goes still further. One reads so much about your 'flat style' but can language ever be truly neutral? When Bingley, with an income of four or five thousand pounds a year, occupies the neighboring estate of Netherfield, she exclaims, 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. This young man has recently inherited the fortune his father made in trade. Physicists extrapolate backwards in time to one picosecond, a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang, and explain the universe, the development of its electronuclear force and magnetism, the formation of all matter from the hydrogen nuclei to the stars and planets, up to the evolution of plant and animal life. The authors intention is also important. 4. It includes the psychology of the author, of the characters, and . Literature is the heart of songs, rhythmic and harmonious pieces that give message and inspiration to people. 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. As a primary educator, I have witnessed the impact literature can have on a child's life. In the story, she represents the last citadel of the old world order that crumbles, giving way to a more integrated and inclusive society. All the rest of her nature, the impulsiveness, initiative, foolishness and wild energy, are from the mother. After leaving the house, as Elizabeth is walking in the grounds, Darcy suddenly comes into view. There are many who believe in a persona/ God; others worship an all-pervasive Presence in this Universe. The British played without segregation, aristocracy, gentry, traders, workers and all. Science describes these phenomena as singularities, but description is not explanation. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. As the girls enter Meryton, their attention is caught by the good looking and charming soldier, Wickham. Books are literature when they bring us into some relation with real life. They are not exclusive enough for his taste. But actually, the story begins much earlier. Do our words come true? I highly recommend you use this site! In the intense combat that ensues, Hamlet boldly jumps into the pirates ship demonstrating his leadership as prince of the realm. Does life have a sense of humour? Reconciling art and science, the subjective and objective views of reality through literary criticism may well provide a means to transcend the limitations of a purely material life science and discover a true science of life. Literature entertains and educates us. In its corrective function, literature mirrors the ills of the society with a view to making the society realize its mistakes and make amends. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series (2005-2008) is considered popular fiction, while Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) is seen as a literary work. But he makes Bingley his friend and accepts the invitation to go to Hertfordshire. Read with this insight, Pride and Prejudice, as all great works of literature, offers us all the knowledge required to promote individual accomplishment and human welfare. For historical treatment of various literatures within geographical regions, see such articles as African literature; African theatre; Oceanic literature; Western literature; Central Asian arts; South Asian arts; and Southeast Asian arts. Austens in-depth knowledge of human nature creates men and women with characteristics that are perfectly true to life. However, when we look beneath the surface of the story, we find the clear impact of the movement across the Channel on British society. "Life is the raw material from which the creative imagination of great writers generates works of fiction that are truer than lifetruer because they probe and reveal more deeply its real character." 1. Corrections? It has shaped civilisations, changed political systems and exposed injustice. The rude act is reflective of the internal turmoil in Darcy. Magazines, newspapers, the television, the radio, and even the internet contain literature. Literature kindles new ideas. Austen captures this same movement in numerous events in the story. She is only aware of what she wants. When we say history repeats, we have in mind large scale political happenings, mass movements, and events based on great ideals. Mr. Bennet is content with watching and being amused, he does not act. As a result of all this, Austen was clearly aware of and touched by the socio-political movements of the period. Or is there another explanation? The power of literature affects all of us. Copyright 2023 Creative writing | Powered by Creative writing. That is the true purpose of literary criticism and of all art. "When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. He finds their manners and values vulgar. Today most essays are written as expository, informative journalism, although there are still essayists in the great tradition who think of themselves as artists. The long gradual decline of aristocracy leads us to overlook the real cultural attainments which characterized their ascendency and long period of social dominance. Though there are many definitions of what literature is, they all have some agreement in one key aspect: self-expression through the written word. But the new social atmosphere sees Collins invited frequently to tea and dinner at the Ladys estate. The story depicts the process of social integration that resulted in the harmonious integration of different classes in the country. Literature is the reflection of the life in all its varied forms and shapes. Just like the marriage between Mrs. and Mr. Bennet, the friendship between Bingley and Darcy is another facet of the social evolution that Austen captures in her story. Very often, literature contains some novel ideas, and the form is one which lends itself to experimentation with one's ideas. Content Guidelines The book touches on various consequences of censorship like social isolation and infringement of thoughts. In a voice loud enough to be overheard by Elizabeth, he curtly describes her as just tolerable to look at, and dismisses Bingleys offer saying dancing with her would be a punishment to him. The Holy Bible, one of the oldest written scriptures, is a compilation of tales, beliefs, and accounts that teach about Christianity (for both the Old and the New Testament) and about Judaism (for some selected books in the Old Testament). The literature of any nation is the image that reflects the sincere ideas, so we can call it the mirror of life which reflects writers ' thought about life and the real situation of the world around. Understanding their intention will help you better understand their meaning. It was her critics who have missed the point for over two centuries. Charlotte is the first in the story to be married, though not to Bingley! They analyze the science behind chance happenings and lucky coincidences. 2. The merging of two ends of the classes is reflected again here. 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. This internal conflict in Darcy results in the insulting words. So he would like to hear that Bingley turned out to be a disappointment, there is no chance of one of his daughters profiting by the new connection, and Mrs. Bennet has no reason to celebrate. He is also a changed man now, and renews his relationship with Elizabeth after a long abrupt hiatus. Literature contains humans, the world where humans live in, the fantasy and imagination of humans, all those events and incidents that humans' face or may face at sometime in their life.. when an author presents the events that may happen in the life of a person, through his writings, in a conducive and impressively language, it becomes It is intuitive perception of human character and life. 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. It is the expression of thoughts, and society. He is not mercenary. John Lennons song, Imagine, basically tells us about the philosophy of the hippie community make love not war. Literary form cannot be separated from philosophical content, since it is the result of an enquiry which strives to provide answers to certain matters of human existence. Where his father had been happy to serve, Wickham wants to be master. He continues to have lots to teach us about toleration, modesty and kindne. But to the Asian mind, society is a living organism of which every individual member is an inseparable part, a universal unified existence, as real in itself as any living, breathing, feeling individual. Both of them had parted, wishing never to meet each other. On the contrary, a scientific exposition might be of great literary value and a pedestrian poem of none at all. 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. Mrs. Bennet had however set her sights higher. In other words, being old. But her attitudes and beliefs are fast losing ground, and in the face of the powerful changes taking place in society, she and her opinions are swept aside. Mrs. Bennet, the beautiful daughter of a country attorney, has married a land owning gentleman and risen in society. When news of Bingleys arrival comes and the Bennet family is excited at the thought of a marriage, Lydia exclaims that she would like to be the first in her family to get married. Darcy stands alone, while Bingley is clearly adored by the crowd and has a very pleasant and beautiful girl for a dance partner. Work and the trading class were not for her. Literature reflects life. Living and writing at a time when any criticism of the status quo was seen as disloyal to the country, Austen had to write warily. Mar 30, 2017. He happens to receive a recommendation about a place in the country at a short distance from London. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you It is thus fundamentally an expression of life through the medium of language. In her works, Austen writes about the condition of the church, the decline of aristocracy, the treatment of the poor, greater rights for women, the rising aspirations of people and the French Revolution. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It did not need such a violent uprooting of its social values. In addition to being a tool for revolution, literature can also be a device for an adoration to a nation. Create your account, 30 chapters | The youngest Bennet girl, Lydia, seeks news about one of the soldiers who have just been posted in the nearby town of Meryton. all walks of life art is long and life is short as big as life as if (one's) life depends on it as large as life as much as (one's) life is worth at (one's) time of life at my, your, etc. But all that Mr. Bennet cares for is to enjoy his wifes disappointment. One could be born in the working class, and find a way up the social hierarchy, to the trading, middle, landed, and even the aristocratic classes. The ungentlemanly act of expressing his opinion so loudly that Elizabeth could overhear it, is not in his characterat least the conscious part of itbut beyond his control. LITERARY EXPRESSIONS A A bitterness crept into her face A blazing blue sky poured down torrents of light A book to beguile the tedious hours A brave but turbulent aristocracy A broad, complacent, admiring imbecility breathed from his nose and lips A burlesque feint of evading a blow A callous and conscienceless brute Can literature give us the knowledge to make sense of apparent coincidences? 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. It differs from other written works by only its one additional trait: that is aesthetic beauty. Literature is the foundation of life. This union of one man and one woman symbolizes the larger union of two classes. 3. But Kelly has stopped short of taking the analysis to its logical conclusion. And this perspective is only a fraction of what Pride and Prejudice itself can offer. Literature that is true to life offers intuitive knowledge about human nature, rarely found in textbooks on psychology, history or biography. England was thus spared a revolution because it adopted a peaceful evolution. England had seen its own revolution a century earlier. She is forced by circumstances to go to Longbourn, to attempt to bully and coerce Elizabeth into giving up Darcy. Certain scientific works endure as literature long after their scientific content has become outdated. She has no sense of social propriety. Can our thoughts and attitudes determine the events in our lives? Their actions and experiences also reflect the emerging social process. One example of this can be seen in Margaret Fuller's essay, ''The Great Lawsuit: Man versus Men and Woman versus Woman'' (1843). On hearing that Elizabeth is engaged to Darcy, he warns her against marrying for money. Forgetting for a moment Wickhams morals and values, one sees in his attitude the resentment of the lower classes to remain where they are. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. In a sense, all literature expresses ideas, whether it's a creative idea or the author's idea of how to use literary techniques. To do so would be a punishment, he says, within earshot of the second Bennet girl, Elizabeth. These books gained attention and eventually ignited the Civil War that paved the way to the abolition of slavery and the freedom of the African-American people. By writing about this culture, these authors not only left a wonderful legacy for understanding their experiences, but provided their peers with a sense of ownership over and pride in their culture. Here we come to one of the most famous quotations from Julius Caesar: an expression which the contemporary US novelist John Green turned on its head for the title of his book The Fault in Our Stars. The barriers which egalitarian modern society today tends to dismiss as mere prejudice did exist, as Lady Catherine insists. The social climate sanctioned this aspiration. Thus literature opens up new fields of experience, new lines of thoughts and speculations, because it carries us beyond the meagre humanity of our everyday round of existence into contact with those fresh, strong and magnetic personalities who have embodied themselves into worlds great books. The ideas of God, for example, or of certain moral virtues, were supposed to be eternal. He makes Darcy renounce the stereotypes he had formed of people outside his social sphere. Austen portrays five very different characters in the five Bennet girls, all from the same stock, but at the same time shows us with mathematical precision how each of the girls is a unique combination of the various characteristics of Mrs. and Mr. Bennet. He can be a revolutionist by writing a literary piece that exploits corruption in his nation yet fosters development for his fellow countrymen. We can go further. The genius of Austen goes far beyond tracing social processes. He realises that a huge amount of money must have changed hands before this can be brought about. Reconciling art and science, the subjective and objective views of reality through literary criticism may well provide a means to transcend the limitations of a purely material life science and discover a true science of life. As such, we can consider the text as one which expresses Fuller's feminist values. Seven of the eight people who are to become related thus, are brought together by life a year earlier, without their conscious will or intention. Long before language was invented, stories were told and engraved upon stone tablets and wall carvings. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In its corrective function, in line with Dubey (2013) stating that literature mirrors society.. Whether it be poetry or prose, literature provides insight, knowledge or wisdom, and emotion towards the person who partakes it entirely. 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. Literature is the artistic expression of thought, which is replete with feelings and imagination. Abbas Beydoun. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. They were not always done voluntarily or willingly, but the social progression followed that general direction. 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? Austen wrote in a letter to her sister Cassandra, I write only for fame. This was in 1796, fifteen years before she was to have a book published. His friends are from circles that are more suited to his new life style. Whereas in France, the impenetrable walls of class compelled violent revolution. With this, we begin to learn, ask questions, and build our intuitions and instincts. Darcy and Wickham alone have known each other since childhood. 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. 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). TOS I think people who see literature as an embodiment of life can love both their life and also literature. Definitions of the word literature tend to be circular. Political turmoil, societal injustice, and genocidal conquest can all be ended and resolved in the form of literature. Thus, Bingley, with his fathers money that had been earned in trade, is trying to join the higher ranks. 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. The human condition is experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context, it's an aspect of positives and negatives of being human. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen shows the unmistakable connections between the inner and outer worlds. Trustee, World Academy of Art & Science; Senior Research Analyst, The Mothers Service Society; Board of Directors, World University Consortium, Garry Jacobs, Joo Caraa, Rodolfo Fiorini, Erich Hoedl, Winston P. Nagan, Thomas Reuter, Alberto Zucconi. Literature has been with us since humans began to use words to tell their stories and describe their world. This paper considers how death and dying are presented in literature. It is an art that helps in understanding life through the lives of many other people. It has evolved to reflect the changes that happen in the world. Wickham, the son of Darcys estate steward, had not stopped with simply admiring, he had coveted Darcys lofty position all his growing years. Quotations of Women in Literature Quiz, https://www.britannica.com/art/literature. Mr. Bennet wants some peace and quiet, and the best for Jane and Elizabeth. New canons of literary criticism need to be evolved that discover the knowledge of life in literature. 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! Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address is known to every American schoolchild. A wide range of texts, principally but not exclusively from the English language tradition, is used to illustrate themes. Life is not . Literature consist of those writings which interpret the meanings of nature and life, in words of charm and power, touched with the personality of the author, in artistic forms of permanent interest (Henry Van Dyke) Literature a written record of man's best thoughts and feelings Literature written or printed productions Literature Neighborhood dances and parties brought her and Mr. Bennet, the landlord of Longbourn estate, together. The writer need not even pursue it to attain it. 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. 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 Literature mast has social functions. Your email address will not be published. Even though it is dynamic, endless, and multi-dimensional, literature contributes significant purposes to the world we live in. He reseals the letter using the signet ring he bears as Prince of Denmark and replaces it. Literature revives the debate which science ignores or dismisses as unscientific. Throughout this novel, Bronte explores many different aspects of life like love, hate, social class, and death. The shades of Pemberley, the Darcy estate would be polluted, fears Lady Catherine de Bourgh, because of her nephew Darcys connections with the Bennet family. Later, Wickham carries out something similar with Lydia, the youngest Bennet girl. Next is Elizabeth who owes her strength of will and energy to her mother, and intelligence, positive values and pleasant manners to her father. It places an emphasis on many topics, from human life to tales of love. In doing so, the author uses both direct statements on how she believes things should be, as well as presenting examples of what she considers a problematic view of women. We warmly invite you to experience our annual Open Day in 2021. Charlotte gets engaged to Collins instead, leaving Mrs. Bennet disappointed and enraged. Biology starts from the first living cell and describes life. In this symbiotic relationship between two classes, Austen deftly paints many pictures. The Lady is Darcys aunt, and belongs to one of the oldest and wealthiest families in the country. He hates to move in social circles outside his own. It had been bloodless and paved the way for the modern English parliamentary democracy. The highest levels of the landed gentry forged lasting relationships with the lower levels, erasing social boundaries. Literature is also a tool for the foundation of a religion. When we read a book we focus ourselves towards the understanding to what the author has to tell us and we do our best to enter into his thoughts and feelings. 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. Lydia gets a more than dashing husband, and adventure too in ample measure.. Wickham wants to become Darcys brother. All these things are shown in the works of literature. Bingleys sister Caroline teases Darcy over his future mother-in-law Mrs. Bennet, all the while hoping to marry Darcy herself. Long before humans began to know how to read and write with the words that our ancestors created, literature already existed. It results at a macro level, in a gradual merging of various diverse sections of people and social groups. He has high values and principles. Life, no matter how disguised as fiction, is the reality they portray in people and events.