How Literature shaped me?

“Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.”

-Fernando Pessoa (Portuguese poet)

Literature holds immense importance in my life, and Pessoa's line, "Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life," invites us to perceive the implicit. The commonly understood meaning of Literature may not fully capture its true essence; it is something deeper and more expressive than what we typically comprehend. In the 11th standard, I first desired to read books that were beyond the syllabus, but access to the library was restricted to teachers. On the first day of my bachelor's degree, I encountered my dream: the library I had longed to visit. Yet, at that point, I did not fully comprehend what Literature is. My views and understanding of Literature were limited, or I could say, more general.

“That is part of the beauty of all Literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”  

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

It was my decision that changed my view and the world around me when I resolved to read a maximum of 50 books during my three years of bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, I was able to delve into only around 30 books, but now I know the charm and importance of books and libraries. I want to explore more and more. In the meantime, I was lucky to attend a lecture by a teacher who gave me new keys for further exploration of Literature. This was the first time I got to know that we can read books online, and I started doing that. I read one of my favorite books, 'Arabian Nights,' in its online form. This way of reading books carved out new ideas and perspectives for me. I found that I am more inclined towards hard copy books rather than soft  ones, but who knew that this path would lead me to the Department of English, MKBU, which would become my second home.

Of course, I read and answered the question about what Literature is. However, I had never considered how Literature shaped me, and this realization changed my life. This new idea or thought process provided me with a new way to understand Literature. Until now, my perspective was limited, like viewing two sides of a coin, but it has now transformed into a multifaceted, diamond-like view, allowing me to perceive Literature from various angles, not just two. My preconceived notion that Literature encompassed only books and genres has been completely shattered. I now realize that Advertisements, Cinema, Research Works, Graphic Novels, Video Games, Academic Videos, Hypertextuality, Social Media, Music Lyrics, and more can all be considered forms of Literature.

All these changes in my life have given a new meaning to living and studying. The study, which I was previously doing merely because my parents forced me, is now something I love due to the excitement of learning Literature. Now, there arises a question: Why Literature? My attachment towards Literature is beyond my own understanding, but one thing is certain – I will be a lifelong learner because of Literature. Literature is not limited to a particular language. As a master's student of English, I can say that we are learning world Literature, which introduces us not only to English, Hindi, or Gujarati Literature but also to other fields like Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Literature and Cultural Studies, Neuroscience, Biology, Economics, and more.

“Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.” 

-Nora Ephron

I have read works by a diverse range of writers across various languages and genres. This includes Gujarati writers such as Manubhai Pancholi 'Darshak''s 'Socrates', Gunvant Shah's 'Billo Tillo Tach', 'Nikhalas Vato', 'Dhai Akshar Prem Ka', Jitendra Desai's 'Tolstoyni 23 Vartao', the Gujarati translation of Ryuho Okawa's 'Invincible Thinking' titled 'Man Je Mane Na Har', the Gujarati version of 'Steve Jobs' by Walter Isaacson translated by Dilip Gohil, as well as works by Labhshankar Thakar like 'Kon?', 'My Most Dear Lulu', 'Vadhavo Sant Basant Aavyo!', 'Champak Chalisa', 'Bako Che Kalpo' and 'Pilu Gulab Ane Hu', 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, novels by Kajal Oza Vaidya such as 'Chhal' and 'Chahera/Chehra Pachhalno Chahero', 'Bavano Bagicho' by Tarak Mehta, 'Pani Nu Parcel' by Gautam Sharma, 'Aarkid Na Fool' by Joseph Macwan, Ruskin Bond's 'A Little Book of Love and Companionship', 'Colours of Life', Ashu Patel's works like 'Jaane bhi do Yaaro' and 'Vishchakra', 'The Killer' by Dr Pradip Pandya, 'Kebra Dancer' by Abid Surti, 'Na Iti' by Dhruv Bhatt, 'Kore Kagaz' by Amrita Pritam, 'The Rover' by Aphra Behn, 'The Home and The World' by Rabindranath Tagore, 'A Dance of the Forest' by Wole Soyinka, 'Gun Island' by Amitav Ghosh, and so on.

Imagine how Shakespeare might respond if he could witness the way we analyze and critique his works today. These are the lines I envision him speaking in reaction:

If they ask me, I'm not gonna lie,

Some ain't believe in me, and some think I die,

I gave them story of Love, Hate and Cry,

Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, Which one can you apply?

Anonymous in Love, But I am not Shy,

You think I am less educated,

But more than your career, My Ariel can Fly. 

Literature changed my life, mostly Mentally. I find Peace, I find Sorrow, I find all the Emotions. It helps me to think Practically, and I get lost in it, finding Myself as well.