World Literature

World Literature gave a lot of perspective on just how important literature can be to a country. As a Filipino, world literature allows me to peek into another’s country’s culture. It allows me to see what another country struggled with, what morals and values they had, and the type of conversations they had. It tells me how their world is different from mine. Even in today’s cultural environment, where literature is not the most popular form of media, world literature serves as an example of a country’s culture. Words are the easiest way to share information, which lets people write deep stories, intricate prose, and amazing poems. Literature also has no real cost of entry. You don’t need to know how to use a camera, how to record music, or how to program something. All you need is a pen and paper, and you’re all set in writing. Though nowadays, you’ll probably be writing on a phone or computer.

But there’s something else that strikes me about World Literature. And that is, what would be considered the world literature of the Philippines? Surely I, as a Filipino, would have an opinion on this. The writings of Jose Rizal include among them, but what else? I have come to realize that I don’t have any real understanding of our own literature. Legends, poems, and the like could be considered literature, yet most of these are oral, and not written down. I don’t even know any modern Filipino books. I have far more interest in literature based on other countries.

One of the goals I have now created is to be able to use Filipino culture as a stepping point to creating my own stories. Similar to stories like Trese, I would use our unique culture in creating monsters and other creatures for my characters to fight. I don’t need to use minotaurs, vampires, and ghosts when I can use Tikbalang, Manananggal, and White Ladies.

I’d also like to actually go out and read some Filipino literature. I’m sure to find some books to read, even if they aren’t in English. I’d like to struggle to read a Filipino book, just to get into that unique Filipino spirit. By having a more Filipino mindset, I can understand how an outside culture might react to our own. I want to be able to export our culture, but I also want my writing to be authentic.

But speaking of other cultures, I read a lot this trimester. Not all of them fully, but a lot of them enough to gain an understanding of very different cultures. I read everything from Japanese haiku to a Nigerian short story. I loved reading about Indonesia’s struggle to become independent, and I was very interested in reading about the Kama Sutra’s more spiritual side.

I think, however, that the text with the biggest impact was Waiting for Godot. I really loved the postmodernist approach to the story. The story understands what it is, and points out several absurd things that happen throughout the story. Yet it also plays itself straight when it needs to. The characters are all hilarious to read about, and the story itself is very much enjoyable. But the story really makes you feel the frustration and confusion everyone in the story is feeling. They want to know why they have to wait, why they have to endure such absurd events. That is why the story is a tragicomedy, after all.

Waiting for Godot may not necessarily be a strong example of a French story, but it is a strong example of World Literature. It tells a lot about the state of culture at a time, a culture that was tired of reality. I find myself rereading it again and again, and even wanting to watch it live! But a recorded play will have to suffice for now. I hope to read more about the culture that Waiting for Godot was satirizing.

I think World Literature is an exciting thing for me to learn. In my own definition, World Literature is a piece of literature cultivated by its author to tell about their own culture that gets circulated to the entire world. Its primary audience is its own country. Is it meant for consumption by outside sources? No, but by reading it, you can understand the mindset behind it and gain knowledge of this new culture. World Literature isn’t limited to just prose, as poetry is a major part of many cultures. Reading translated poems may not always be effective, because most of the time, the rhythms and style of poetry are lost when translated. But just knowing what the poem is saying is a great step to understanding a culture. World Literature both poem and prose, 

World Literature was certainly one of my favorite subjects to study. The diversity of books I read really helped kindle ideas on what to read and write about. I’ve always been more interested in fictional cultures, so this course has given me a perspective on how important and wonderful literature is in our own world. I’ll most definitely credit this course to helping me write my stories. I hope I get to create my own World Literature someday.