Sabiya Kathiria Week 11: The Power of Literature
The Power of Literature
Reading non-fiction is great and all—it’s informative, relevant to contemporary issues, and facilitates learning—but what really matters is fiction. From creating stories to reading them to passing them down, fiction not only represents lives but helps to shape them, wielding a unique power to steer lives.
Literature, from mythology to books to short stories, has the unique ability to help us understand ourselves and the world around us. It gives us first-hand experience of things we could’ve never dreamed of learning otherwise, such as Greek mythology: in the third grade, I found a large yellow book with a bright drawing of a brilliant horse-drawn chariot steered by Helios, the Greek sun god. I was entranced and enthralled—by the end of the week, I had read the book two times. I had always been an avid reader, but this, this is where I found a passion for literature. Honestly, I think I may have read that book over a hundred times. The intertwined fates of the Gods, the romance, the creativity, and the shocking plotlines all coalesced to form one perfect, unmarred story. It was here that I found love in reading, here that a book had first demonstrated power over me.
Literature has had power since the beginning of civilized society. Scholars have been respected by kings and worshipped by the masses of societies. Philosophers from thousands of years ago have created works that remain praised and relevant today. To have that kind of influence, that kind of effect on people’s lives? To me, that’s power.
Take Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for example. They carry the weight of not only being iconic legends, but cultural movements, defining the Greek Era as we know it today. The Odyssey continues to be adapted generationally; even now, famous director Christopher Nolan (known for movies like Interstellar, Inception, Dark Knight, and Oppenheimer) is adapting Homer’s Odyssey with the best actors of this generation. And, of course, we all know the story of the Trojan Horse, which first makes an appearance in the Iliad.
To have this kind of influence, this kind of continuous worship of one’s stories and creativity is a power that is unparalleled. Literature is the only vessel to carry this unique power, facilitating imagination, empathy, and understanding.
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ReplyDeleteHi Sabiya! The moment you mentioned Greek mythology, I knew I just had to comment. As you can probably tell from my other posts, I am just as obsessed with Greek mythology as you seem to be. I relate so much to your experience of voraciously consuming fiction works as a child and I also deeply relate to your fascination with "The intertwined fates of the Gods, the romance, the creativity, and the shocking plotlines." The Greek pantheon is just so rich in stories and legends and characters that it is impossible not to be sucked in by the sheer depth and power of these myths. I really like your line "Philosophers from thousands of years ago have created works that remain praised and relevant today." I completely agree with you that true power is the ability to be relevant and important even millennia later. On the topic of modern takes on ancient legends, I had no idea that Christopher Nolan was adapting the Odyssey!! That is so exciting, all his other movies have been sensational and I hope that they do the Odyssey justice. I like the way you captured the power of literature and how its impacts resound through the ages. Fiction is truly one of the best mediums to convey "imagination, empathy, and understanding." Overall, I loved this post and look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi Sabiya! Your blog post really resonated with me, just like you described, I had been a really avid reader as a child, devouring books in days, only to reread them over and over again. As a kid, I had a great love for mythology, that only deepened once I discovered the Percy Jackson books. I was hungry for literature, back then, of stories of heroes that have traveled far and wide and Gods that had caused great wars just for the love of a beautiful women. Stories allowed me to travel all across the world without ever once having to leave the comfort of my own bed. Literature is so important, not only because it is entertaining, but also because it educates the reader on topics they would never pick up a fully nonfiction book on. Books allow you to explore perspectives beyond your own, to put yourself in the shoes of someone else, a book is the closest people will get to complete understanding of others. Thank you so much for sharing!
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