How Literature shaped me ?

                       

What is literature ?

This is very basic question for the students of literature. While studying literature, teachers' and students are mostly concerned on the language rather then understanding, because literature is most generally made by language. In English literature, students are actually not aware with the concept of literature, but they are more interested in learning English language.

Most of the students have a basic understanding of literature that "It is the mirror of society". Mirror never reflects the real image of a person or a thing. It is a mere inverted image. However, literature reflects society in a bit different way. It can be considered as an x-ray image of society, which represents the the harsh reality and real image of society. Literature is of two kinds, first is the books and and paper one can buy from the shop and second is when a person experiences the lives hidden in the books. When a person feels the happiness and pain of different characters from the books, and its creates a different point of view of a person towards the literature.

Literature can be considered as a "Change" in us after its understanding. All can read literature but only few can feel and understand it. When we feel the conflict of Hamlet towards his life and when we understand the philosophical point of view of grave digging scene' we real understood it, that understanding changes our way of thinking. That change is not permanent but it leaves its effects in our mind. Literature contains various way of thinking in one piece of art! It has the villain like lago and the passionate hero like Othello. It contains a housewife like Mrs. Ramsay and a girl with freethinking like Lily Briscoe. It contains absurdity and nothingness like meaninglessness of Vladimir and Estragon's life and their condition. It contains Frankenstein's innocent monster and Edger Allan Poe's evilest and harmful humans. It gives us numerous ways of living life. It gives us each characters way of thinking and understanding of way they are behaving in a particular manner.

All these experiences can change us. We live thousand times in one life through literature. It attacks harshly and brutally kills our beautiful dreams( illusion) of life. Literature hurts our ego, and heals our hearts. It criticises us, and admires, but ultimately, it changes us.

No one can bind literature in any particular definition because it is made from language and as "Derrida said " Language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique". 

Literature is not easy to define in language but we can feel it, understand it, and express it through emotions. Catharsis is the way of getting literature. It changes us. By each reading, we can get the different essence of each subject. As it is said that by reading literature, one can read about people, he/she could never be, and adventures he/she would never have.

How Literature Shaped me....?

Yes, Literature shapes,  I have seen the changes in me. Like, one needs to be thinking man. 

Not only thinking but makes us ready  to be more onus. Theories of existentialism makes this life more interesting to live. It teaches the importance of choice. Most importantly , it gives a new way of life by creating the better human being.