Literature Essay, Research Paper

Literature, in all its forms, is an integral part of our lives for one very simple reason: we need it. Literature would not have developed as it has were it not so necessary and vital for our species to communicate the ideas we have about ourselves and the world around us, be they good or bad. It is important to have literature that makes us stop and think critically about a topic that perhaps excites or worries us. Literature that can make us weep tears or shout wildly in outrage, or laugh in fun. Literature that explains some questions that have never been fully known nor explored before. These examples can be put into three relatively general groups. First, we need literature so to help us understand concepts that are otherwise unattainable. Second, simply for the entertainment and the rare look into the vast imaginations that exist on this planet, from the bizarre to the mundane. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, to develop our own way of thinking in a world that would otherwise grant so many other negative opinions and not the genuinely needed opinions that we find in so many of the literatures today. Literature is key to understanding ourselves and our many varying environments. We need literature.

We need to understand concepts that the average of us, and thus the majority of us, can attain only through literatures. Concepts such as the Oedipus complex, the Cinderella complex, and many other such complexes that may perplex us should they appear in our own lives and thus alienate ourselves from what we feel is normal. These types of concepts help us to realize that we are not so fully different than others, that it has been written and, more or less, proven to be a trait of us humans. There are other concepts besides behaviour complexes that we would need in our day to day living. Such concepts as being the victim in relationships, depression stemming from lack of communication with loved ones or personal issues that are shut away and never given a chance to be confronted. Simply by chance or by the gift of an outsider one side person can receive a piece of literature that defines to the tee how that is a problem that should be addressed and is not normal in the human psyche. It will explain carefully and well how the issue can be turned around and an understanding develops of how it can avoided in the future. Without concept literatures these issues would go long not understood. It is these concepts that we need, and in literature we find these concepts.

Secondly, we need literature for the sheer entertainment of it. Without it our lives would be quite dull and uninteresting. Literature helps us open up to the world, helps us to see into the vast imaginations that coalesce into reality sometimes in this world. People can turn to literature not only looking for a discussion on some serious issue, but to relieve the tension of working day. Many great tales can be had. These can also help us to develop our own imaginative ideas and to ourselves give some of our illustrious ideas to the world so that others can be similarly entertained. An individual may well discover he is in dire need of expressing himself in literature and in so doing give himself a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that is rather different then having packed a thousand jars of pickles at work; or sold two cars in one day at the lot. These forms of literature help us to think of the interesting sides of life, the entertaining and the liberating. We can exist outside of our environments and for a time live the life we may always have dreamed of. People around the world can to revel in the freedom and daring of Huckleberry Finn or laugh out loud at Me, Myself and Irene, for movies are literature at its conception. Without entertainment, and thus imagination, life would seem very tunnel-like indeed.

Finally, it is vital that we have literature because it helps us to bridge the gap between every living and to develop our own way of thinking in a world that may at times seem devoid of logicalness. Some literature enables us to now understand why our boss at work is cranky around midday; gives us solid reasoning why we should not pick on nerds in school because perhaps one day they will grow up and own you. If people could not develop important thoughts for themselves-and indeed, still many cannot, then surely this existence would be rising in blindness. Having read books that can make us well read or most educated , such as the bible or Greek tragedies as examples, it is definitely hard to forget the lessons and ideas conveyed that we can readily apply to our own lives. In this fast rushing world of computer highways and unlike minded people, it is important to a smart head on one s shoulders that can both understand ideas given and develop ideas for one s self. In this way we better ourselves, and this is done most readily through literature, a reason why we so deathly need it.

Even death itself can be rightly explained through literature, on many different levels and from a myriad of opinions. Literature is definitely needed in our society when one considers what it would be like without it. We would never understand the important concepts on earth that could act as guides through this lifetime and key knowledge. We would have very little in the way of entertainment to look at for their would be a small outlet in which our imagination is expected to leak out through. Lastly, without other ideas and opinions our own minds would not develop as highly as it has always been known that two heads are better than one. A world without literature would almost be no world at all. We would be here and it would feel as if nothing were being discovered, accomplished. Literature has so many uses in our society that we cannot even fathom its reason for being, and thus, we need it so dearly.