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Definition of literature by different scholars
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Literature has been an art form that spans from novels to poetry, and prose. It is no stranger, how influential literature is to our society, with many films, plays, and other creative outlets being inspired by their written counter parts. Literature is an outlet, an art form that allows writers to put their thoughts into print form for other to read. However, another form of writing, which has been around for quite awhile, but is just now being noticed, is taking the writing field by storm. Established literature, and even television shows, and movies, are inspiring writers to crate prose based on established characters. This writing is called fanfiction and many dispute whether or not fanfiction worthy to be considered literature or not. …show more content…
To put the word in perspective, the dictionary definition of literature is “writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.” Fanfiction is not published, and as such, cannot be labeled as literature without changing the known definition of literature. Even then, literature is not simply a simple written story, it has many mechanics that are necessary in order for it to be labeled …show more content…
As society grows and changes with technology, the way society views things and concepts changes as well. However, though fanfiction may or may not ever be considered literature, it is a fact that it is writing created by writers who put in effort into creating said writing. Fanfiction tells a story and holds the same amount of creativity as an official novel, even if it may not be completely original content. It is people’s right to label things as they see fit, and if some believe that fanfiction meets all the requirements to be considered literature, it is in that creative mindset that that view point should be given a chance. Literature is a broad term, but in the means of creative writing, all writing does the same, published, critically acclaimed, or not. Writing has the purpose in inciting thought in its reader and conveying a general theme. Why should a definition affect that
As a precursor, the common understanding needs to be reached that: literature is an art, and has many mediums. Medium is the material or technique with which an artist works (Dictionary.com), for example: photographs, pastels, canvas, paper, ink, etc... There are technical, recreational, and otherwise artistic uses for all mediums. A small child taking pictures of a puppy with a disposable camera, a reporter taking precise pictures of a sporting event, and an artist taking close-up pictures of the dew as it drips off a tree are all different uses of the same medium in photography. Literature can be created with many different intentions and reasons, but the attempt to determine that something is not art based off of the motivation or intentions of the artist is quit meaningless.
In his article “Star Trek Rerun, Reread, Rewritten,” Henry Jenkins addresses the function of fandoms, more specifically the writing of fan-fiction, and further in the context of the Star Trek fandom. He claims that fans are “textual poachers” who take pieces of the original text that they deem as worthy, and rework, or improve areas that they find problematic or contradictory to the overall purpose of the piece. This “poaching” that is transformed works into fan-fiction are heavily written by females, at least in the Star Trek fandom. Jenkins states that this is due to the fact that women have a rather limited and highly stereotyped portrayal in science fiction. Thus, in writing fan-fiction, women are able to express themselves and their own
Literature has long been an important part of human life. We express our feelings with ink and paper; we spill out our souls on dried wood pulp. Writing has been a form of release and enjoyment since the beginning of written language. You can tell a story, make yourself a hero. You can live out all your fantasies!
Fiction as we know it today is considered to be a relatively new genre compared to poetry and drama. The tradition of fiction started with myth and legend and allegory. But the fictional characters in these imaginary worlds were mostly one-dimensional abstractions, personified as Love, Greed, War, or even Faith. The evolution from allegory to novel (and short story), from the sermon about an abstraction in human guise to the story of the individual whose personal experience might have universal application, took a long time.
Literary fiction is a term principally used for certain fictional works that are claimed to hold literary merit. Literary merit it is a certain aesthetic value. It should be concerned with the truth. It should have a theme. Commercial fiction is to entertain the audiences and make big amount of money. Literary fiction is different to commercial fiction because literary is to send a message to
Some people are unaware of what literature really means. Literature is referring to something that deals with a body of written works; within poems, plays and novels. Literature is used to explore human experiences in all possibilities. It is something that deals with our most apprehensiveness such as death, family, religion, good and evil, character, courage, and more. “While the information is represented in abstract form and generalized: facts, statistics, and data” (Gillespie, 20). It offers a different type of learning than just collecting information by, requiring us to experience things and participate. When looking for literature in stories you want to look for irony, symbolism, the theme, setting, main characters and supporting characters.
Generally speaking, the two most frequently used genres in literature are fictional and non-fictional. Having said this, fictional and non-fictional literature are distinct regarding their purpose as well the literary devices they use. Literary devices are specific language methods which writers use to form text that is clear, interesting, and unforgettable. Fictional literature, for instance, is something that is made up; however, non-fictional is factual. Furthermore, non-fictional works of literature such as literary essays usually convey a message using literary devices that differ than those used in fictional literature such as short stories, which are meant to amuse its readers. Literary essays uses literary devices such as description,
There are many types of leaders worldwide, such as presidents, coaches, and even peers. But not all leaders are good leaders, some abuse their powers and mislead people into doing the wrong thing. A leader inspires and guides people to do something through direction and motivation. Sherry Rehman uses her leadership to inspire people to do good, whereas Lady Macbeth abuses her powers to guide people to do wrong. Sherry Rehman shows leadership skills through her hard work and determination.
The term “fandom” is thought to have first come into use in 1903, which is when Merriam-Webster’s dictionary first found evidence of the term being used, though its meaning has since evolved. The fandom of 2014 is very different to the fandom of 1903, and this is because of the fact that as the world evolved, so did the meaning of the word “fandom”. Social media is the main reason for the fact that fandom is used to refer to many different areas of interest. Sites such as “Tumblr” and “Twitter” have allowed fans to form a global community with those who share ...
Fan Culture is something that has been around for a while, but it the last twenty years, since the introduction of the Internet, it is also something that has changed dramatically. A fan is an enthusiast of something and now the Internet is a good home for fans to gather and build together a community of fans, a ‘Fandom’. The turn Fandom means a community of a group of people who all enjoy them same thing and the Internet has created a place for online communities. Fan Culture has irreversibly changed the media industry because of the ability share information and fan made created content. The creation of these online based communities have meant that people from all over the world can talk about the latest TV shows, movies, books, comics and other forms of content and create groups dedicated to them. The Internet has also become a platform for the creation of a collective community, where individuals who all have shared interests can go. “Fans uses of technologies bring a sense of playfulness to the work of active reading” (2010; 12). Digital Fandoms are user-led forum of content creation, the fans create a number of things; fan fiction, fan blogs, fan made videos, fan art work, wiki leaks. The fans create a whole new life, another side of the TV show, film or book, that is complicity run and used by the fans. These fan made creation do not have to stick to what is canon in the show and can do what they wish with the character and the storylines. However is this an okay thing to do, Henry Jenkins refers to the fans who create these things are ‘Textual Poachers’. Those fans are now active interpreters instead of passive consumers. In this view the fans are poaching the created content of the writer. The fans have power to create t...
Literature has many purposes, and opens doors to unique worlds. Through Literature, we discover ourselves and world time and again.
Literature }is a writing which expresses and communicates thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards life~. Rees (1984, p. 2). Whereas the novel, as a precised particular genre of literature, is a narrative prose of considerable length,which merges reality with fantasy and imagination to imbue its characters and actions with a sense of fiction. In answer to the second part of the question, Nin (1972, p.168) argues that }the function of the novel is to give you an emotional experience....
Literature has learned to grow and progress over the years, but still till this day graphic novels are having trouble with being accepted as literature. Good literature is a piece of work that can incorporate writing and illustrations that pulls the reader in and leads them throughout the book. After reading a couple of graphic novels I have to disagree with the scholars who believe that they aren’t a piece of literature. Each graphic novel tells a story just like “regular” novels do. They each capture your imagination and keep you interested. They may look childish to some, but you should never judge a book by its cover. “Graphic novels that succeed as literature escape the norm and invite critical discussion, analysis, and, often, comparison with text-only books featuring similar situations, climactic crises, or aesthetics” (Goldsmith). Graphic novels tell a story, draw in a different audience, and expands a reader’s imagination, so with that said, they should be considered as literature.
Literature is an essential part of society in the present day and enables the communication between multiple parties in a written form. Texts can provide a vast knowledge on subjects dependent on content whereas novels are often seen as being purely for leisure and enjoyment. However it can often be seen that prose
The main form of literature, the book, has had a great impact upon the formation of our society today. Before the 1940’s TV had not come into being yet and there was not much else to do other than read books. Thus books formed my grandparents and to some extent my parents and, although I grew up in the generation of TV, books as literature have indirectly formed me as well.