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Importance of genre of literature
The nature ,purpose and function of literary Criticism
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In today’s society, high schools around the country are given a required reading list of the books they 're going to be reading and trying to analyze and understand. These books tend to be dubbed as classics, however even though society is told they 're classics, there is a significant difference between them. Those differences being how those books are being perceived as either being ideal and real. This gives an insight on how the book impacts a reader and why society considers these novels to be classic. To understand this, the definition need to to be understood for is ideal and real in this form of context. With ideal classics, the novels that truly fall in this category are novels that deal with the issues of that …show more content…
What is most interesting in the interview was that neither Mehta, Z.Z. Packer (author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere), nor Joan Didion (author of We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live) would offer a concrete list of the characteristics of a classic novel. The features of a classic that were offered, however, were consistent with those that designated as ideal. They include an ability to speak across the generations, the effort to address issues that may be uncomfortable or hard to discuss, and a combination of excellent style and subject matter. But above all, a classic must change a person and their awareness of themselves. Mehta said that the definition of a classic novel that he would agree with most is one by Clifton Fadiman (editor and critic, 1904–99), who said, ”When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in yourself than was there before.” This may accurately be said to be one of a classic novel’s greatest strengths: its innate ability to change the way a person views the world and everything in it, as seen through the ideal …show more content…
As it is, however, that is most definitely not the case. Many readers appreciate books for what they most immediately bring: entertainment, distraction from the real world, or some kind of romantic connection to themselves. In regard to classic novels, specifically, the case is very bleak. These novels do not really receive the appreciation many argue they deserve. It seems that, in general, people accept that a novel is a classic because it has always been categorized that way. For example, a high school student may be reading a novel that his teacher tells him is a classic. His father read the same novel in high school and was also told that it was a classic. Neither the father nor the son question that the novel is a classic because of this lasting reputation and do not look into the true reasons that the novel is considered in such a way. Very often, as in this example, the label is what they are comfortable with, what they have always known, and what they have accepted. In the very real sense of what a classic is, it entertains, it is old, and everyone has, for as long as anyone can remember, called it a
...e insight to life or contain certain meanings that the reader must reconstruct in order to evaluate the text fully. Other novels are considered to be noteworthy because they exist within a specific literary movement, or because they reflect cultural change. However much one might argue that Erskine Caldwell’s God’s Little Acre and Chester Himes’ If He Hollers Let Him Go belong at the bottom of the literary ‘stack,’ they nevertheless employ the same concepts and exhibit the same characteristics that turn many other novels into works of ideal greatness.
In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read” (1999), Francine Prose argues that literature is not being exposed to and taught to high school students in the way that it should be and that students learn to “loathe” it due to this. Prose provides her audience with her personal experience as both a mother and a college professor along with her own research on the books and suggested purposed of them. She continues to expand on this topic in order to help illuminate the importance of literature itself, not being associated with personal experiences or morals. Prose’s position is valid and she makes her essay directed towards school boards, teachers, and students and continues to maintain a critical tone throughout her essay.
Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999.
An example of literature is brought up, where for no apparent reason the historical novel became a popular genre and everyone was reading and writing them despite the fact that the genre had been around for a very long time. He used this example to give a concrete example if his idea, and it appeals to the audience’s
What is a classic? One definition given by the dictionary is: having lasting significance or worth; enduring. When examined closely we can discover what makes the novel unique and memorable. There are many important messages in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, which make it memorable to the reader. The main message in this novel is about racism, how people around you, not just parents have a strong influence on you when you are growing up, and how rumors and misjudging can make a person look bad. Judging other people without knowledge of the facts is also a common occurrence.
Martinez, Elizabeth Coonrod. "Humble creator of an iconic novel." Americas [English Edition] May-June 2009: 62+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.
The book The Catcher in the Rye was published in the year 1951 and has been the subject of constant debates and controversies. The novel has not only been the target of criticism, but has also sparked discussions on its effectiveness for use in high schools. The novel is about a period of three days in the life of Holden Caulfield. The novel’s most criticised points are its issues such as profanity, irrational behavior, and teenage sex, but it still gives very important lessons to young readers because it teaches tolerance, discipline, religion, and rational behavior. More specifically it teaches that desirable behavior will make them and society better, and as such, I do not think it should be banned from high school curriculum. This paper analyzes the reasons why The Catcher in the Rye should not be banned from English classes that are taught in high schools.
Are classic novels still being referred in modern society? Yes. Yes they do. – David Ngo claims
“In my estimation a good book first must contain little or no trace of the author unless the author himself is a character. That is, when I read the book I should not feel that someone is telling me the story but t...
Kennedy, X. J., & Gioia, D. (2013). Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and
classic, a novel must have one or more qualities that place it above the rest.
Literature has been part of society since pen met paper. It has recorded history, retold fables, and entertained adults for centuries. Literature intended for children, however, is a recent development. Though children’s literature is young, the texts can be separated into two categories by age. The exact splitting point is debatable, but as technology revolutionized in the mid-twentieth century is the dividing point between classic and contemporary. Today’s children’s literature is extraordinarily different from the classics that it evolved from, but yet as classic was transformed into modern, the literature kept many common features.
What makes a piece of literature a classic? This is an extremely difficult and biased question to answer. One school of thought incorporates steadfast rules to qualify for the honor of being a classic, whereas another group of scholars may not be as strict in giving a literary work the title of a classic. The job of giving a novel the coveted brand of 'classic' is an important task and should not be viewed frivolously. Remarkably, a surprising few recommend what the masses should read in order to be viewed as 'well-read' in society. The Great Gatsby is a classic that is required reading in almost every high school in America. What accolades does this novel have to render it such merit?
at all. this book has to be good if its considered a classic, but it