What is Literature?

Introduction:

First, let's look at literature as a literary form. It is a way of human communication. From the rise of Shakespearean plays to modern novelists like James Joyce, literature encompasses a broad range of works. It includes Greek plays, Romantic poetry, Gothic novels, and extends to modern cinema and web series. It’s not just these; literature also encompasses diaries, letters, newsletters, advertisements, and social media posts. Literature delves into every form of communication and its impact on society. In general, it is said that literature is the mirror or X-ray of society.

Initial Impressions about Literature:

Let me start with my childhood. I grew up watching television, where I used to watch soap operas like Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Shararat, Haatim, Shakalaka Boom Boom, and Diya Aur Baati Hum. These were the TV serials available, especially on free Dish. Other cartoon series I liked were Dragon Ball Z, Ben 10, Ryukendo, and Tom and Jerry, which were telecasted only on paid channels. I would go to my Nani’s home, which was fortunately about a kilometer away from mine, to watch them.

I noticed that soap operas, especially those centered on saas-bahu (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) drama, often depicted all saas as being bad, torturing their bahus. I used to like Hollywood movies a lot because of my brother. I remember having a VCD player at home, and my brother would bring lots of CDs. I enjoyed the action scenes, new concepts, and the use of VFX. Hollywood movies also featured more explicit content, which, as a teenage boy, naturally attracted me.

In School:

The first story that felt truly relatable to me was the Gujarati short story Chhakdo, written by My Dear Jayu (Jayantilal Gohel). It was in our 10th-grade syllabus. When I read it for the first time, I cried, and on Teacher’s Day, I taught that short story in my class. There’s a lot of Gujarati literature that fascinated me, especially the short stories in our syllabus. One such text was W.W. Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw, which I still remember from 12th grade. Other Gujarati stories like Postmaster and Bano Vado also left an impact on me. I used to read the Gujarati textbook just to find good stories.

In B.A. :

The term “literature” was introduced to me when I began my B.A. studies. When the exams came, I asked my friend what literature meant, and that’s when I got my answer. During my studies, I read Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale and the Rose, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. The Bluest Eye was the first novel I read thoroughly, followed by The Namesake. These novels moved me, and I experienced the power of literature for the first time.

In M.A. :

Then I joined the B.Ed. program, where I leaned toward philosophy. When I entered the Master's program in the Department of English, I understood the real importance of literature and what it means. When I learned about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I realized who the true monster is. In Macbeth, I saw the destructive power of greed. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I saw the marriage system and its inherent prejudice. In Wordsworth's definition of poetry, I learned more about the poet and the process of writing poetry. In Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I tasted the effects of opium. Keats’ concept of negative capability taught me about pain and how it can be transformed into creation.