Our class's ongoing study of allusion, archetype, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the different literary periods has reinforced my belief in the emotional power of literature. Specifically, our latest in-class project, in which we compare and contrast Victorian society to modern day society through our Alice squares, further supports my belief. Despite decades and centuries of separation, contemporary readers possess the ability to relate to the emotions and lifestyles of people in past centuries. Literature may be categorized into overlapping time periods, however, its effect on readers is just as powerful today than it was then.
What kind of power does literature have? In short, it has the ability to connect to an individual's personal morals, values, thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. From my personal experience, I always finish a book with a different emotion than I had when I started reading. I found myself consistently confused as I read Alice because of Wonderland's strangeness. Contrary to what one might think, my confusion added to my understanding of Alice's experience in Wonderland, allowing me to experience what she does. When I reflect on my own life, I can relate to the fear and confusion that Alice experienced on her adventures through Wonderland. My first day of high school may not have been as extravagant and bizarre as Alice's discovery of Wonderland, but I can connect with Alice's curiosity, astonishment, and cautiousness from my experience walking through the school's unexplored hallways. The strength of my emotional response varies from novel to novel, but I always end with a different emotional response: anger, satisfaction, confusion, content, inspiration.
Although I've discussed literature broadly, literature can be interpreted in many ways and impact people differently. Looking back at all the novels I've read, I realize that each literary work I've encountered has attributed to my growth in maturity and development as a better person.
Which novels or other literary works have left you with strong, memorable emotional responses?
-Matt A.
I too feel the same way as you when I read literature. Literature is such a unique experience to the person reading it and one can come out of it with so much more knowledge than what they had before. I read The Kite Runner(it won't underline it for some reason) a couple of years ago and it was the first book that brought tears to my eyes. The loyalty of Hassan, one of the main characters in the book, is unwavering regardless of any adversity that he faces. His determination to being devoted to his friend, makes me want to work harder towards being a loyal companion. The lessons that I have gained through reading this book, as well as other literature is priceless. Like you stated, literature has the ability to connect to our morals and help us learn through other's hardships.
ReplyDelete-Jehan T.