importance of 21st century literature essay

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Why Literature Matters in the 21st Century

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2 The Value of Literature

Published: November 2004
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This chapter first looks at the value and definition of art as it should and can be if ever it has moral value. The chapter asks the question why and how are artistic and literary activity morally valuable and excellent? For this question to merit an answer, two issues are addressed in the chapter. The first issue is the relationship of beauty to truth and goodness. In what ways are they compatible? The second issue deals with the uniqueness of beauty and in what ways is it different from the true and the good. For example, In the Republic , Plato speaks of the artist as an imitator twice removed from reality. In that sense, what we today call reality may have implications of deception in such a way that it blocks us from understanding a more essential meaning, a more genuine reality. This initiates the chapter's search for the truth and goodness of literature and literary criticism.

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New Literacies

Reading, revolutionised.

Importance of Literature in the 21st Century

importance of 21st century literature essay

Literature is an ageless entertainment. As technology improves and innovates, the way people read also evolved and revolutionized. Storytelling and reading have many effects on our lives, and we need to know why.

Literature helps us learn and relate to others. By reading through other people’s experiences and perspectives, we can fully understand their mindset and feel how they think. It is crucial nowadays since we feel like people are detaching from human engagement by using smartphones and social media. On the other hand, literature will never change how it makes people feel, no matter where and what literature is, it may be on paper, eBook, or online journals.

Knowing About People’s Past Lives

History is a critical factor in shaping literature; every play, poem, and novel you read has been influenced by other people’s lives, political context, culture, and relationships from the time it was made. Being able to read the first novel about history, we can assume and let ourselves back into the historical figures. We will discover the culture they had back there and what their life is about.

Arouses Understanding and Empathy

Reading a book or any literature helps someone to submerge in another person’s perspective and experiences. Understanding and empathizing with their feelings is one way to get connected to their society, race, region, and history. This way, it helps a person take a close look at the various faces of life from what they do and know.

Possibilities and Escape

Reading is one of the most remarkable ways to escape reality. It can take a reader into the realms of people’s imagination and creative minds. No matter what it is, like battling at Hogwarts, flying into Neverland, or adventure in Wonderland, books can take you to any place and possibility. It is just one of the benefits literature can offer and why it is beautiful. When you have a bad day, are dealing with life, or are stressed out, books will help you escape and live somewhere, even in just a short time.

Books, novels, poem, essays, provides people knowledge, creativity, and entertainment. Literature can enrich our lives in many ways. Whether you are reading online, eBook, hardbound paper, regular paper, magazine, or newspaper, you are creating a conversation from your mind to the writer and letting yourself travel into the writer’s world. It is the fantastic beauty of literature; it is not just a piece of written words but knowledge and information.