Unit 1

Reading Imaginative LiteraturePages 1 - 7

The Nature of Literature

• Literature does not lend itself to a single tidy definition• Why? Because over the centuries it has become as

complex, unwieldy, and natural as life itself.• What can be classified as literature?

• Does it have to be beautiful? Moral? • Can it include songs? Television scripts?

The Value of Literature

• Mark Twain observed that a person who chooses not to read has not advantage over a person who is unable to read.

• Why is reading literature important for us as human beings?• It appeals to our emotions.• It can broaden our perspectives on the world• It can make us more aware of life’s possibilities as well

as its subtleties and ambiguities.

The Value of Literature Continued

• Many times, students simply relate reading literature to college coursework, not to their growth as adults

• Reading, studying, and analyzing literature can develop a healthy “need” to problem solve

• The interpretation of literary texts requires you to deal with uncertainties, value judgments, and emotions; these are unavoidable aspects of life whether you are a lawyer, teach, scientist, business person, etc.

• To discover the insights of literature requires that you carefully read the piece • Understanding the basic elements (point of view, symbols, theme, tone,

irony, etc) is a prerequisite to an informed appreciation of literature

The Changing Literary Canon• Some classics are not realized as classics until many years

after their publication• i.e. Melville’s Moby Dick

• Canon: Those works generally considered by scholars, critics, and teachers to be the most important to read and study, which collectively constitute the “masterpieces” of literature. • Since the 1960s, the traditional English and American literary

canon, consisting mostly of works by white male authors, has been rapidly expanding to include many female and writers of varying ethnic backgrounds.