Literary Masterpieces: Prior Expectations

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Literary Masterpieces: Prior Expectations
Literary masterpieces can create numerous emotions for a reader. Depending on the story, format, characters, and elements, some stories remind me that love never dies; still others, I could not even get past the first page. My expectations before beginning this course was that vocabulary and content would be difficult and I may not understand what the author is trying to convey. In order for me to understand what I was reading, I had to realize there are other dimensions of each society that needs to be taken into account. I believe literary masterpieces are based on politics, religion, and cultural traditions of that time period. I expect without a point of reference, stories would be difficult to understand.
Expectation of Written Literary Masterpieces
When I was younger, teachers handed out books for students to take home and read. Some of these books were not short stories, but instead, thick novels that were several hundred pages or longer. My expectations were that it was going to be a long, boring, and torturous few months trying to digest the material. Overall, I would have to say that I was right, but there were a few stories that surprised me. As an adult, my tastes and interests have changed, and I think that the struggles of the characters in some of the books I read in the past can be equated with the struggles I endured as well.
Understanding and Appreciation
In high school, I did not appreciate the stories that I was forced to read. I could not see how I could relate to any of the characters I read about. It was not until I experienced real life and its tragedies, that I gained an appreciation and understanding of certain stories and the characters in them. In my own life...

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...more involved with the reading in this course, I understand the political undertones, religious themes, and the cultural awareness that I need in order to fully comprehend the meaning the authors convey. I believe it will be a challenge, but I will have a new perspective as well as new expectations as I continue reading literary masterpieces.

References
Ismail, M. (2008, February). Literature is the mirror of society. Campus Notes, 1(13), 1-10. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/notes/articles/literature-is-the-mirror-of-society-1.86134 Sparks, N. (2014). Nicholas Sparks: The Notebook. Retrieved from http://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-notebook/
Twain, M. (1884). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York, NY: Charles L. Webster and Company.
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