As the American economy seems to be in free-fall to an unimaginable bottom, I ask myself if what I am doing has any sort of real world value. If money is tight, I reason, why would anyone pay anything for the chance to read great literary works, or to argue on paper about what literature means to us, or to discuss literary themes with others? Should Americans today focus only on business concerns, and is literature or language a luxury with which no one can afford to concern themselves?
Of course, I both hope that literature is still of value, and fear that these sentiments are shared by few. We inheritors of the Western tradition "own" many of the world's literary gems -- come to think of it, we humans taken collectively own all of the world's literary gems. We need not ever experience war ourselves, but Homer's Iliad or Crane's Red Badge of Courage still have the power to teach us. We may never ourselves be the victim of genocide, but the Diary of Anne Frank moves us. We need never fall in love to enjoy Austen's Pride and Prejudice. So, keep reading, and keep believing in the value of literature.
Very inspirational :)
ReplyDeleteSorry, I can't hear you over the crackling of the fire that I built to keep warm using my literature collection. In all seriousness, though, in times of hardship people tend to react by triumphing "practical" concerns over "sentimental" ones, and as things get worse the category of "luxury" grows wider and wider. However, as you noted, some of our greatest works of literature were born from some of the darkest times in history- events that make our current financial situation seem mild. It is when things are worst that people need to express themselves and share in that expression the most. Hence, I remain positive that no amount of hardship, financial or otherwise, will ever totally displace the importance of literature within society.
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