What is Literature?

Hello friends,

Here I am going to write about ‘what is literature?’ according to me. You will find innumerable definitions of ‘What is literature?’ By reading that definitions I come to know about one thing is that we can’t bind the words for what is literature? We can say that it is an umbrella term. Literature is the world where everybody want to roam there only. Because at some extend people find sympathy towards the characters and they feel that the character in the story and they are sharing the common problems in the life.

This image shows my point of view about ‘What is literature?’ before I enter into the department. But now after studying the two years at department my point of view about literature has changed a lot. One major thing I notice is that words are more powerful. ‘A pen is mightier than the sword.’ This phrase we time and again and which is true also. The truth is never in totality rather there are grain of truths and these grain of truth we will find in each and every work of art. You may find a thing true according to this writer but the same thing denied by another writer.

Another thing about literature is that it is totally based on the humanity, or rather I would say another name of literature is Humanity. We will find harsh reality about the life and yet we will never inspire ourselves to commit for such actions. Literature is a platform where we will find each and every emotions at a time.

In short I would like to say that literature have both the capacity, the power like any weapon and the inspiration like any religious book. It is up to readers from which through which glasses they want to see the world.

Thanking You….

How Literature Shaped me...

Hello everyone!

Here I am sharing my experience of learning literature that how literature shaped me. Throughout these five years I have studied many texts and after studying each and every texts my point of view about life also changed.

Literature is a platform where everybody gets equal chance to express their selves. Here no one is going to ask tell us your gender, here no one is going to ask tell us your cast, tell us your degree, and tell us who your parents are. Here everyone are equal.

When I was studying ‘Hamlet’ I feel that with Prince Hamlet I am also in dilemma of ‘To be or not to be that is the question’, when I was studying ‘Frankenstein’ with Monster I was also feeling that ugliness, when I was studying ‘Waiting for Godot’ at that time I was feeling the enigma about life with Vladimir and Estragon that ‘Who am I?’ that existential identity crisis and learnt that ‘Waiting is an endless process.’, when I was studying ‘The White Tiger’ I was feeling like Balram Halwai that with him I have also murdered Mr. Ashok and also like him ‘Half-backed’ not knowing the whole truth, when I was studying ‘The Da Vinci Code’ at that time I was feeling that I am also on the quest of ‘Holy Grail’, when I was studying ‘Harry Potter’ I was feeling that like Harry I will also die because I am also a part of Voldemort, when I was studying ‘Sense of an Ending’, I was feeling that with Adrian I have also committed suicide and with Tony Webster I am living my life ‘Peaceably’.

The list will extend, because I have studied many texts and with each and every character I was feeling that I am also feeling the same. So, what I learned from literature? Of course about life and life experience and yet nothing because after all literature is this. It never teaches you something rather it just express someone’s feeling, emotions.

When I was in the starting phase of learning literature at that if somebody asks me that what is literature? At that time I use to say that ‘Nothing but mirror of society’, then I learn more about literature and my answer was changed then I use to say ‘literature skeleton of society’ and further I studied about literature and now again my answer is different now I am saying that ‘Literature is nothing but words, words, words!’ (Of course used in different situations, for different time, for different purpose, for different contexts). I don’t want to add more words in this definition because the more you the words the more you discard the quality of literature.

So, to sum up my point how literature shaped me or what I learn from literature of course everything yet nothing. And what is literature ‘Nothing but words, words, words’.

Thanking you…

The Sense of an Ending

Sense of an Ending

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'Sense of an Ending' is a novel written by Julian Barns. The focus of the story is Tony Webster. In the first part we are in taken in to the memory of Tony Webster and in the second part the story is unfolding but with documentation.

•   What is the meaning of phrase ‘Blood Money’ in Veronica’s reply email?

When Veronica replayed ‘Blood Money’ means from someone’s spilled blood the money is given to Tony. Mrs. Sarah gave that money to Tony because she was happy in relation with Adrian. And Adrian met to Mrs. Sarah Ford because Tony suggested him to do so. And later on Adrian committed suicide. So according to Veronica this money was not pure and that is why she just replayed ‘Blood Money’.

•   How do you decipher the equation: b = s – v x/+ a1 or a2 + v + a1 X s = b?

When Adrian committed suicide several things he noted down in his dairy, which later on resolved by Tony Webster. b=baby, s=Sarah Ford, v=Veronica, a1=Adrian himself and a2=Anthony another name of Tony Webster and Adrian used call Tony as Anthony when he talked about the serious issues among his friends. When he died he noted down several formulas in his diary. Through which he was trying to put relationship.

•  Adrian’s diary is willed to Tony by Sarah Ford. How come Sarah Ford owned it? Why was it in the possession of Veronica?

Adrian’s dairy is willed to Tony by Sarah Ford, because she is the mother of Adrian’s child and Veronica is the daughter of Sarah ford and that is how Veronica possessed the dairy of Adrian.

•  Was the mentally retarded middle aged ‘Adrian’, Tony’s friend who did not commit suicide and was suffering from trauma and thus gone mad, and was living with hidden identity?

Possibility of this situation is very less, because on the death spot Adrian’s death body was found. And the second thing was noticed by Tony was that the mad man’s age was around 40 whereas Adrian his friend was his age. But as above said that sometimes we are in the memory of Tony Webster so it also can be happen. Because only the photographs of the death body was shown to Tony, he himself never seen the death body and we are in the memory of Tony so we can’t rely on the narration of Tony.

• How was Veronica related to Adrian, the one suffering in care-in-the-community?

Veronica is the sister of Adrian, the son of Adrian and Mrs. Sarah Ford. When the secret was unfolded before the reader’s eye at that time Veronica’s character is not much explored. But yes we can say that she is related to Adrian the one suffering in care-in-the-community.

•  Do you see any missing block – some dot which is not getting connected with the whole or dot missing to get full sense of the novel - in the plot of this psychological thriller?

As we know that this book falls under the category of Psychological thriller. There is not a single missing block or some dot which is not getting connected with the whole narration of the story.

•  Do you see any possible reason in the suicide of Adrian Finn?

Why Adrian Finn committed suicide is not clear through the narrative but we can assume the reasons. There are many reasons like maybe he falls in love with his girlfriend’s mother. Or maybe something has happened between Mrs. Sarah Ford and Adrian and Mrs. Sarah Ford becomes pregnant. Or maybe he was not wanting his child and Mrs. Sarah Ford was not ready to aboard the child. Or maybe out of fear of society and Mr. Ford he committed suicide. But apart from this it was also said that when he died his mind was fully under his control so the things are not much clear.

•  In the light of new revelations, how do you read character of Veronica? Instinctive, manipulative, calculating, stubborn, haughty, sacrificial, trustworthy, Good Samaritan?

The very first impression of Veronica emerges in our mind as Instinctive, Manipulative, Calculative, Stubborn and Haughty but as the story unfold in front of our eyes she emerges as Sacrificial, Trustworthy and Good Samaritan. But her impression in not much clear because as a reader we are not given a single chance to enter into the mind of Veronica. Whatever comes in front of us is through Tony’s point of view.

• What do you mean by Unreliable Narrator? Is Tony Webster classifiable as Unreliable Narrator?

Unreliable narrator means in the very beginning the narrator himself tells us the story and then at the end he himself creates the doubt on the story provided by him. Here also we can categorized Tony Webster as Unreliable Narrator because in the first part whatever the story is told by him is falsely in the second part by the provided documents.

Thanking You…

The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code

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'The Da Vinci Code' is most discussed and criticized novel by Dan Brown published in 2003. Basically it is mystery and detective novel. Many critics criticized the novel on the ground that the novel is anti-Christian novel. To answer to this argument Dan Brown says this: 

1. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

It is true that his book not 'anti-Christian' book, but simply an entertaining and constant spiritual journey. Because if we minutely observe the central character of the novel then we can conclude this argument. Professor Robert Langdon, who studies the symbols of the ancient time. When the novel begins he is depicted as the non-believer of priory of Sion. This is the committee who are selected to protect the blood-line of Jesus Christ. Though he was studying all these symbols but he was non-believer of this and at the end he turns into a member of Priory of Sion. We can say that Robert Langdon's journey as a pilgrimage. The search for the Spiritual Truth. Brown is just using the historical fact with his imagined story.

2. What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer?

When we study all these characters then we come to know that directly or indirectly these all characters are objectified in the films. If we see the films like 'Hamlet', 'Frankenstein', and 'The Scarlet Letter' then we will find that these characters are more objectified physically and serve as the male-gaze characters. We can see vast difference in the characters of films and novels. But it is quite good that the character of Hermione is not that much objectified. Well, her character is also objectified but in more controlled way. In the later parts of the movie she becomes the reason to fight between the two important characters Harry and Ron. As compared to all these characters Sophie's portrayal of the characters is done in more fair way. As compared to these three characters the character of Hermione and Sophie is more free and open-mined. They remain companion of the male characters at the last of the journey. But still Sophie is emerging as the more strong character. In the movie also her body is not used as the object in the movie.

3. When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?

If we do atheist reading of the novel then the character of Sir Leigh Teabing emerges as the protagonist of the novel. Both the characters wanted to know the truth of the Holy Grail and the blood line of Jesus Christ. But the intentions of both the characters were different. Teabing wanted to reveal the truth to the common people so that he can destroy the fake faith of common people in Christianity. Whereas Langdon was on the journey just to accompany Sophie and because his name was written on the death place of Jacques Sauniere. But at last when Langdon come to know about the truth of the blood-line, he become one of secret keeper rather than reveler. So we can say that Langdon's journey is just pilgrimage. Though he was knowing the truth he become one of the member of secret keeper.

Thanking you...  

Applying New Criticism

Sujata Bhatt

Introduction:

She was born in 1956 and grew up I Pune and later on went to United States in 1968. She studied there. She won many prizes. Her first collection ‘Brunizem’ won the Common Wealth Poetessry Prize (Asia) and the Alice Hunt Bartlett Award.

Title of the poem: ‘Muliebrity’

Muliebrity

I have thought so much about the girl
who gathered cow-dung in a wide, round basket
along the main road passing by our house
and the Radhavallabh temple in Maninagar.
I have thought so much about the way she
moved her hands and her waist
and the smell of cow-dung and road-dust and wet canna lilies,
the smell of monkey breath and freshly washed clothes
and the dust from crows’ wings which smells different –
and again the smell of cow-dung as the girl scoops
it up, all these smells surrounding me separately
and simultaneously – I have thought so much
but have been unwilling to use her for a metaphor,
for a nice image – but most of all unwilling
to forget her or to explain to anyone the greatness
and the power glistening through her cheekbones
each time she found a particularly promising
mound of dung –

Analysis:

‘I have thought…..in Maninagar’. We can refer these lines as the first stanza of the poem. In the very beginning the poetess starts her poem as ‘I’. So, in this poem the poetess sets a scene of a girl picking up cow-dung. This is a shameful thing for many people. Many would generally be kind of disgusted of picking up cow-dung and embarrassed being seen picking up cow-dung.

‘I have thought…and simultaneously’. So, again these lines we can refer as second stanza of the poem. Here again the words ‘I have thought’ is repeated. So, we can say that the girl has created a kind of lasting impact on the poetess. May be in real life Bhatt was used to see a girl picking up cow-dung. Here we can see that the girl is pictured as a graceful figure even though she is picking up cow-dung. Here the smell of cow-dung is compared with the plants like Canna, Lilies-native to India.

‘I have thought…..mound of dung’. Again these lines refer to the third stanza of the poem. So, again the words ‘I have thought’ is repeated here. Again these words also say that unknowingly the girl has created a lasting impact on the poetess. In this stanza the poetess clearly says that unwillingly she used the girl as the metaphor of the poem. In a way she also talks about the beauty of the girl. And the poetess like the way that girl was confidently doing her job that is picking up the cow-dung.

Applying New Criticism

So, to apply New Criticism first of all we have to remove the name of the author and the title of the poem. We just have to read the words of the poem only.

So, first of all we have to find out that who is the speaker of the poem? Here the author is supposed to the speaker. Because the very first line of the poem starts with the word ‘I’ and repeated again and again in this poem.

Then we have to find out that who is being spoken to or addressee of the poem? Here, we mean readers have to imagine themselves as they are the addressee of the poem because with the author we can also visualize the girl.

Then we have to find out that what the setting of the poem is? So, here the setting of the poem is a place near the Radhavallabh temple in Maninagar because the author clearly writes about the place in the poem.

Then we have to find out that what the central metaphor of this poem is? So, here we can find central metaphor as a girl because through that girl the author has conveyed the message. Then here we will find that what the message of the author is? So, through the words we may find that the author is supposed to talk about ancient values v/s modern values because in India even today the cow-dung is used as fuel. So we will find some difficulty in understanding the true message of the author.

So, if we are not supposed to provide the title then we will interpret the poem’s message as per our understanding. The title of the poem sometimes gives the hint of the poem’s message. So, even in New Criticism we will find some misunderstanding.

Conclusion:

In this poem the word ‘Muliebrity’ stands for the celebration of the women-hood. Though the words of the poem are very simple and even we can also visualize the girl with the poetess but still we will find some errors in New Criticism. So if we want to unlock the real meaning of the poem then we have to go outer sources, beyond the words.

Thank you.