Why Study Literature?
WHY STUDY LITERATURE?
Many students are studying literature at universities all over the world. Each of them must have her own reason to do so. Some of them have chosen the course on their own free will and some on external forces such as parents’ force, their diploma score’s force, etc. But those who have chosen to study literature on their own free will must have some strong reason, because the literature as an academic major is a bit different from other majors regarding its usage. Actually you with a degree in literature will not have any practical skill except teaching it. So the reasons would be interesting to find out.
“I love literature” some might say. It means that this student find pleasure in reading and studying pieces of literature. She might have a special interest in poetry, novel, drama, short story or any other field. But this reason definitely lead to another question”why do you love it?” which is not a simple question to answer.
“I learn from literature” somebody else might say. She might learn from literature not to lie, not to betray, not to envy, not to be snobbish, etc. that’s good, but why then studying it academically? Stay at home read literature and be a good person!
“I find it interesting to read what people have written in old times” the other student may say. This student probably is interested in classic literature. But what about suggesting her to switch her field to history? Isn’t that serve her purpose better?
All these reasons and thousands of other reasons for studying literature academically or personally are self-deceiving answers. Because like many other great questions of human life the exact reason for literature being so much interesting is that there is no answer for loving it. Like the question of God, the question of destiny and the question of death. The most lovable pieces of literature are those which raise a question without an answer. It is the reason that literature looks like
Many students are studying literature at universities all over the world. Each of them must have her own reason to do so. Some of them have chosen the course on their own free will and some on external forces such as parents’ force, their diploma score’s force, etc. But those who have chosen to study literature on their own free will must have some strong reason, because the literature as an academic major is a bit different from other majors regarding its usage. Actually you with a degree in literature will not have any practical skill except teaching it. So the reasons would be interesting to find out.
“I love literature” some might say. It means that this student find pleasure in reading and studying pieces of literature. She might have a special interest in poetry, novel, drama, short story or any other field. But this reason definitely lead to another question”why do you love it?” which is not a simple question to answer.
“I learn from literature” somebody else might say. She might learn from literature not to lie, not to betray, not to envy, not to be snobbish, etc. that’s good, but why then studying it academically? Stay at home read literature and be a good person!
“I find it interesting to read what people have written in old times” the other student may say. This student probably is interested in classic literature. But what about suggesting her to switch her field to history? Isn’t that serve her purpose better?
All these reasons and thousands of other reasons for studying literature academically or personally are self-deceiving answers. Because like many other great questions of human life the exact reason for literature being so much interesting is that there is no answer for loving it. Like the question of God, the question of destiny and the question of death. The most lovable pieces of literature are those which raise a question without an answer. It is the reason that literature looks like