Influences of Literature/ Introductions to Literature

Literature is a favorite subject of mine at school, and includes reading, a hobby which many enjoy. Throughout my posts concerning literature, I will be discussing different stories, poems, and authors. I chose to separate this article into two parts: Influences of Literature and Introductions to Literature.

Influences of Literature
 

 

Literature should be considered in light of God’s Word, the greatest classic of all. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” The same principles that govern our thoughts, words, and actions should govern the things we read. There have been so many quotations basically saying that we become what we read. Entertainment influences our thoughts. Books, movies, and music all have their role in our society.

• Books: Charles Darwin formulated evolution from reading the Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell. Prior to that, he was studying to become an Anglican pastor.
• Movies: I found an article on the New York Times stating that movies effect personal views. A particular research disclosed that twenty to twenty-five percent of young adults interviewed changed their political opinions after watching one movie.

“A recent study by Michelle C. Pautz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton, suggests films can act as an influence…Younger people, particularly teens, are much more likely to be impacted than older adults because they are still developing and shaping their worldviews,” she said in an email interview. “Since they are still being socialized politically, they are more likely to absorb all sorts of influences, including influences from film. (Guida, 2015)”

With the evidence above, why do we carelessly choose our entertainment choices? If the impact of these change society and culture, it would be wise to give cautious thoughts to what we are reading, watching, or listening. We should judge each work of art according to the standard of the Bible. All other standards are relative, and ineffective filters for our amusements.
 

I have mentioned that entertainment influences cultures. Thus, while studying history, one can assess the central beliefs of a particular time frame by reading its literature. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a great example of the beliefs of the Sumerian period. Malicious gods, mortal humans, empty philosophies, and inaccurate historical accounts plague this piece of literature. A lot can be learned from a culture’s “classic.”
 

Behind everything in our world is language. Language is a wonderful gift of God, yet we take it for granted in our everyday lives. Animals aren’t blessed with the gift of language and thought (although they seem to have a mind of their own sometimes!). God chose to create us in His image, and give us the tools to communicate with Him and others. Because he has given us such a blessing, we should use our words to glorify Him.
 

Introductions to Literature
 

In this sub-article, I will be discussing what every story is made up of. The plot is what happens in the story. When I discuss Greek drama in a later post, I will discuss tragedy and comedy. Tragedy refers to a plot with an unhappy ending and usually involves characters of noble or wealthy positions. On the other hand, comedy refers to a plot with a happy ending and involves characters that are common citizens. These are exact definitions, but in our modern day we usually have the happy or unhappy ending; we don’t make many differences between our characters’ social status.
 

The theme is the moral or lesson learned in the story. The author’s perspectives on life are evident through the book he has written whether it was intended or not. Sometimes morals are understood through the whole plot, and other times, through the character’s dialogue. The protagonist, the main character, is usually written to include the author’s worldview. This doesn’t mean that other characters don’t express themes in the book. The antagonist, the conflicting character, is formed to convey themes that the author does not agree with. I am just stating the general uses of characters with themes. The theme can also be correct or incorrect. Jack London asserts evolutionary thinking through his themes of survival in his stories. Writers like John Bunyan and C.S. Lewis use allegories to express biblical themes.

 

The setting is the time, date, place, and events surrounding the story. Some authors prefer not to mention the year of their story for realistic purposes. The time of the events in the plot clarify the story for the readers.

 

The tone or mood of the story is the attitude that is presented by the author toward the subject he is writing about. The tone can aid in developing the moral of the story.

The characters of a story make the plot happen. There are numerous characters with diverse stories. I believe that creating a new character is one of the most enjoyable things in writing a story. Characters reveal the plot, theme, tone, and sometimes even the setting. Characters can be introduced with direct exposition or indirect revelation. Direct exposition announces the characters with a sentence or a word (For example: “Joe was disliked among the whole town). Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is presented this way. Indirect revelation announces the characters by their dialogue or what people think about them. The characters in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare are presented this way. In narrative poetry, dramatic dialogue, created by Robert Browning, tells a character’s personality by their dialogue. Characters can be identified as static or dynamic. Static characters don’t undergo changes in personality and opinions. Detectives in crime fiction are an example of static characters. Dynamic characters are the opposite; Scrooge is an example of a dynamic character.

 

There are three main points of views that the author can write the story from. The limited point of view shows only what is apparent if one was there. It doesn’t provide insight into the main character’s thoughts. The first person uses “I” and “we” from the perspective of one of the characters. Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses this point of view. Third person uses “his” or “her” from the perspective of an author that focuses on one or two characters. I prefer this point of view. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie uses this type of approach.

 

The verse for this week is Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I explained the verse in the first paragraph of “Influences of Literature.” Let us strive to obey His command.

Works Cited

Guida, J. (2015, February 4). How Movies Can Change Our Mind. Retrieved from New York Times: https://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/how-movies-can-change-our-minds/?_r=0