When I think of a work of literature and compare it to a relation with life, the Bible is the first piece to come to mind. The Bible is abundantly full of literary technique. It can be read historically, theologically, or leisurely, in which the reader can relate to human experience. The Bible as an anthology of literature, meaning a collection of literary pieces, tells the story of humankind; it is a story of tradition revealing the present. This is the view from the Christians’ eyes, and a relation to human experience. As an anthology, the Bible shares similarities with other anthologies: many authors, diverse genres, and a strategy of organization that is based on groupings of genre and historical chronology.
Archetypes play an important factor in the relation between life and literature. Archetypes are the building blocks for literature and help to identify the quality of the text. Once the reader is aware of the archetypes, it is easier to help unify the bible. This is because we as humans relate one instance of an archetype to another, helping one to relate to a personal experience. This also makes the Bible a universal piece of literature. Another literary fact making the Bible universal and more unified is the fact that it can be divided into hundreds of different types of genres and subcategories of those genres.
The writers throughout the Bible refer to a variety of literary genres in which they write: proverb, narrative, poetry, complaint, prophecy, parable, song, and many others. Not only do the writers of the Bible refer and relate to this diversity and variety of genres, but so do the readers. Some of the genres correspond to the authors’ surrounding culture and the literary forms of that time. This is one aspec...
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...e the characters in normal settings performing actions easily related to a human. Expository writing gives us the guideline; literature gives us the example and relation.
Literature and life are very easily related, especially if you look for it or aspects of what really make up literature. When I think of literature and life, the Bible is the first piece for me to easily relate to. This is mostly because I know what aspects make up literature and how they are presented in a text. The Bible can be a casual read, an interchange of narrations and view points, a historical study, a guide line for the way of life, a book of philosophies, theories, or prophecies, a piece of art, or just an interpretation of what a bunch of people thought at a specific time. There are many aspects of literacy and the relation to humans and life, and this is clearly evident in the Bible.
The Bible, for many centuries, has impacted society, culture, and religion in innumerable ways. Included in the Bible’s impact, is fictional literature (Erickson, 2015). Biblical allusion, defined as an ancillary reference to Scripture ("Definition," 2015), can be a useful tool for fiction writers to draw the attention of the reader to certain biblical truths. Mixed in with the writer’s style and language, biblical allusion, assists in building plot lines, themes, and influence over the reader’s beliefs (Erickson, 2015). Nevertheless, the real magic of biblical allusion lies within the author’s creative genius and ability to infuse biblical themes, metaphors, images, and characters in with the story to allow the audience to reach certain
The Bible: The Old Testament. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall et al. Vol 1. 7th ed. New York: Norton, 1999. 47-97.
There are several different types of archetypes: situational, plot, character, symbolic, and setting. These archetypes are implemented because they hold meaning to society and “provide the deep structure for human motivation and meaning. When we encounter them in art, literature, sacred texts, advertising—or in individuals or groups—they evoke deep feeling within us.” If the audience or reader cannot relate to a certain archetypal symbol or pattern then they would be lacking some deeper meaning behind the sym...
Michael Joseph Brown, unveils new ways to read and examine the Bible in his book, titled “What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies”. Although quite technical, the guide, not book, really goes into depth on the process of studying the Bible and its documents. Brown has a new and refreshing way of giving the reader this information that is necessary in a small group, or for a Biblical scholar. This guide is not meant solely for the biblical scholar and talks in detail about the difference between these two, because some may link the two together. Published by the Westminster John Knox Press, WJK for short, this book gives straight forward answers on the best way to thoroughly understand Biblical text. As you read on you will find out more about how they differ and why they appear so similar from an outside perspective. Brown has taken a wide variety of information, and made it into something interesting and extremely useful for the reader. In his own words, “What I have done is to ‘translate’ some foundational concepts in biblical studies into an idiom more people can understand” (xiii)
Archetypes are pivotal in the structure of any story. Without archetypes, individuality is not expressed. The story will fail to have a characteristical context if not knowing the individual classification of personality for each character. It is as if reading an open book with blank pages. Using The Oddessy, by Homer. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho I will prove that without archetypes, stories will be bland and difficult to finish. There will be a shortfall of captivation, engagement of the readers, interest in the plot, and unknowing of what will happen next.
An archetype is a human experience or symbol that is universally known and accepted. Archetypes can be images or stories passed on through history. Carl Jung, a prominent psychiatrist in the early 1900’s, used archetypes in his theory about the human psyche and how humans can recognize these symbols because they reside in the collective human subconscious. Some common examples of archetypes are The Hero, The Mentor, The Mother, The Villain and many more. Archetypes like these can be seen in everyday things like books, tv or movies. In The Complete Stories by Zora Neale Hurston there are many different archetypes in each story but three prominent ones are The Trickster, The Devil or Evil, and The Hero. In the novel The Trickster archetype
In, “True and Living Word”, Gomes introduces the readers to a variety of topics and attempts to explain how the Bible relates to them. These topics are: The Bible and...The Good Life, Suffering, Joy, Evil, Temptation, Wealth, Science, and Mystery. The Good Life is a slightly more detailed repetition of Gomes’ main point. This section again explains how the Bible is a living text, as it withstands the test of time and applies to all those who read it, and how people are scared of admitting their Biblical illiteracy. Gomes makes a broad statement in this section that everyone feels drawn towards the Bible, subconsciously know it is holy, and want to read it but do not know how. He also states that the Bible is difficult to read and requires great analysis to truly understand it’s message. The other seven sections discuss how the Bible connects to each of them. These seven section are essentially a “crash course” on the Bible’s
An archetype in literature is defined as a typical example of a certain type of person. A character in a poem or play can be placed into many different archetype categories. Archetypes help a reader to gain a better understanding of who a character in the work is on the inside. This deeper insight into the character allows the reader to follow the flow of the story easier and more effectively. There are many different archetypes that can help to advance the story. One of the most useful in advancing this story is the typical powerful character. Whether it be supernatural or cunningness this character always comes out on top in the situation and holds the most control over others and their actions. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”,
—. The Unity of the Bible: Exploring the Beauty and Structure of the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2003.
The author tells us that every litterateur work is somewhat related to or referring to the Bible. The author tells us that writers often refer to the Bible because nearly everyone knows at least some of the stories from Bible. Works that relate to the Bible often involve themes of denial, betrayal, temptation, and etcetera.
Virtually all literature contain instinctive trends in the human consciousness to represent certain themes or motifs, these are defined as archetypes. Archetypes can be thought as blueprints or as bundles of psychic energy that influence the manner in which we understand and react to life. There are two different categories of archetypes, the plot archetype and the character archetype. The orphan, martyr, wanderer, warrior, magician, villain, wise child, temptress, rebel, underdog, fool, saint, virgin, wise, old man or woman are all considered to be character archetypes. Call to adventure, isolation, quest and monster that turns against its creator are all considered to be plot archetypes. The novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, contains archetypes.
The authors acknowledge that many books have been written on this topic. Their goal is to be unique by focusing on different types of literature (genres) so their readers will understand how to properly interpret them in the context they were written. This review will examine the principles the authors use to interpret the Bible. The review will summarize the book, followed by a critique, and a conclusion.
The first theory to be discussed is structuralism, this theory is composed of many different branches. The branches that this paper will be looking into is archetypes. The definition of of archetype is typical images, characters, narrative designs and themes and other literary phenomena. Archetypes have their own form of criticism that is called archetypal criticism. Archetypal criticism means the generic, recurring and conventional elements in literature that cannot be explained through historical influence or tradition.
Answering these questions is the purpose of this essay. I begin by arguing that the Bible cannot be adequately understood independent of its historical context. I concede later that historical context alone however is insufficient, for the Bible is a living-breathing document as relevant to us today as it was the day it was scribed. I conclude we need both testimonies of God at work to fully appreciate how the Bible speaks to us.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become,” said C.S. Lewis, noted author. This quote, to me, is the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. Literature reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern times, in which the book To Kill a Mockingbird clearly does. Literature is defined as the body of written works of a language, period or culture, produced by scholars and researchers, specialized in a given field. Why is literature important? Well, let’s see as stated in the quotation by C.S. Lewis, literature not only describes reality but also adds to it. Yes, literature is not merely a depiction of reality; it is rather a value-addition. Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns and social norms prevalent in society. They are an illustration of the different facets of common man's life. Literary works serve as a food for thought and a tonic for imagination and creativity. Exposing an individual to good literary works, is equivalent to providing him/her with the finest of educational opportunities. On the other hand, the lack of exposure to literary works is equal to depriving an individual from an opportunity to grow as an individual. To Kill a Mockingbird provides its readers with the ‘finest of educational opportunities’ and that is why it is an important literary work. Harper Lee’s book is a powerful literary work because of the following literary devices employed: Setting, Allegory, and point of view. However before one can dissect the devices used, one must h...