Why is it important to study literature? Everyone has to do it. There are courses on literature in every high school and college out there. So, should we study literature for its own sake or does it offer something more? I believe, there is very little to gain from just studying literature just for the sake of it. Why bother spending the time to analyze a book and learn all the jargon required to label it just because? I see little point unless one is a book reviewer. The benefits of studying literature come in different ways. I believe, that number one is that literature can teach/reinforce one’s knowledge of history for a particular time period. Number two is that it teaches proper ethics to the reader (in most cases). I believe, that these two things are the true benefits that come from studying literature.
Literature and History
Let’s start with benefit number one. I believe, one of the best ways to learn and understand history (which teaches many lessons) is by reading the literature of the corresponding time period. Literature provides insights into many aspects of a culture’s ideas, worldview, and ethics; these things are reflected in a culture’s literature. This allows for a better grasp on the motivations of the people who were players in history. Literature also can act as a primary source providing chronology and unsee details of particular events. Literature is one of the main ways historians are able to determine what happened in the first place.
My experience is a perfect testament to these concepts. I have taken history and literature courses that parallel one another. This has given me a much firmer grasp on all the history I’ve learned. For example, if one is studying the life of the pilgrims and their colony Plymouth, reading the classic book “Of Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford would be an immense boon. This piece of literature documents the events that happened in Plymouth coupled with the thoughts of a man who experienced it all. Clearly, this would help give someone a better understanding of the history of Plymouth. (It certainly helped me.) This same thing goes for all of history. The best way to get a firm grasp on history is to read its literature.
Literature and Ethics
Benefit number two of studying literature is that it teaches good ethics. This is where novels and stories come into play more often. Most popular/classic literature in western civilization has characters with good morals. Most people like stories where good wins in the end, courage pays, and truth wins out. They want to believe that right makes might. There are of course exceptions to this rule, but there are always exceptions. People who create stories where evil wins are not generally liked.
So, given that most popular/classical literature has good morals it can impart these good morals unto its viewers. Stories have always been used to teach moral lessons to their viewers. The Bible is the premier example of this. People become inspired to do the right thing when they see a character they like in a movie or book do the right thing. Most people want to be like the hero in a story who slays the dragon or conquers evil. I am sure most of us can attest to this from our personal experience reading books and watching movies (once again, I certainly can). Literature can hold many moral lessons and this is another big reason to study literature.
Why Learn the Jargon
In many literature classes the focus is less upon the historical and ethical side of literature, but more on studying literature as its own discipline. Many literature professors just teach students how to classify literature, identify the tone of the author, explain different metaphors, etc. Oh, and don’t forget that along the way every student learns a mountain of completely irrelevant, useless jargon. That is the contents of many literature classes. I believe, the benefits of studying literature fade when it is taught this way. Why are any of those above things important? I see them all as largely a waste of time.
Conclusion
To sum up, studying literature should not be about classifying it or learning jargon; this is essentially pointless. Studying literature should mainly be about reinforcing history and teaching ethics. This is what it is best at. The study of literature is important because it reinforces the teachings of other disciplines like history. But, I believe there is little point in studying literature if it is just for the sake of it and this is sadly all most professors know how to teach.
So, when exactly did “literature” stop getting written? Why is literature not created today? Is it because we’ve lost our moral character as a population? Have the ruling class tried to destroy the whole concept the best then can?
It was not my point that literature is no longer being written, but that it is being taught incorrectly. Great literature either in the form of books or movies is still being created today. My point is that standard literature professors are teaching bogus information like meaningless jargon. Whether this is because they have a bloated opinion of themselves, because they want the population stupid, or for darker reasons is beyond me.