Towns 1 Abbey Tilling Emerick English 12 9/4/2013 Finding God, Tradition, and Self in Literature My favorite definition of Literature

is found at Merriam-Websters website and it adds this, especially: writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. ("Literature - Definition.") After reading this, specifically Ideas of permanent or universal interest, I began to contemplate what I have read that would suit this definition. Three major things that very clearly inspire interest universally are God, tradition, and self. Therefore, any writing that wants to fall under this specific definition of literature needs to include at least one of these categories if not all three. Literature is tricky because everybody interprets it differently. I may read a novel and see who God is while my friend may read the same novel and learn something about herself. Moreover, a person can discover God, tradition, and/or self in any piece of quality literature, they need only look. Incidentally, God is easily found in literature. The Bible is one of the most consistently read books internationally. The Bible is considered exceptional literature by most, even if they do not view it as doctrine. Any writing over one thousand years old that is still being bought, sold, and read daily undeniably falls into the afore mentioned definition of literature (Five Reasons..) Straying from the obvious, God can easily be found in secular literature too. Immediately the famous story of Les Miserables comes to mind. Having only seen the most recent movie, I assume the plot is close to that of the famous story written by Victor Hugo. The main character commits a crime and is shown mercy by a man of God, sending him on a path of

Towns 2 self discovery and redemption that includes extending love and mercy to everyone (Les Miserables: Themes...). This story points vividly to a higher power and involves unhindered compassion like that of God. Not to mention this tale is only one of many famous pieces of literature that cause the reader to contemplate God. Additionally, tradition has played a large role in literature since man started writing. Not only is culture found in all literature but also many times literature is a vessel through which traditions are passed down. Any religious culture that considers the Bible a holy book practices many traditions found in it to this day. For example, the practice of communion was established by Jesus Christ and is found many places in the Bible including Matthew, Luke and John (65 Bible Verses...). Apart from clearly indicated traditions like those in the Bible, many pieces of literature describe cultural trends with the setting or in character interactions. Recently, I read a short novel called The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck. This novel is set in Japan and richly descriptive. It was easy for me to pick out some differences between American and Japanese cultures; such as the sons working for the fathers beginning at a young age or the more natural and simple food the characters ate (The Big Wave). Any literature, especially with a welldeveloped setting, will teach you something about the culture and traditions of the characters. Likewise, a reader can often discover something about himself through good literature. Many times the audience will identify with the literatures protagonist, chiefly if the character suffers at the hands of another and/or has a few flaws himself. Readers probably do not consider themselves like royalty. A timid girl with low self-confidence, a multitude of responsibilities, and a feeling of being out of place, however, is easily relatable with or without a king for a father. The character I described is from the book The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. She is sent to marry a man she has never met and, like many, feels her future is out of her control. At the

Towns 3 same time, when I read this novel I found myself hesitantly identifying with the antagonist. The antagonist is a girl who becomes so jealous of the princess that she forcibly takes her thrown and leaves the princess to become a servant (Series Review...). All of us at times become jealously selfish. This novel shows the reader how truly atrocious a person is when her actions reflect that state of mind. Not only does the reader notice attributes of characters that they share, but literature can also inspire the reader to become the person they want to be. In short, Literature is powerful, particularly if it is quality. Poet Ezra Pound said, Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. ("Ezra Pound Quotes.") Anything that I consider to have meaning makes me contemplate God, tradition, and/or myself. Moreover, any literature that is already considered great or will be considered great in the future definitely contains meaning and most certainly causes the reader to think. Universally, people from every nation have historically spent substantial time pondering the three categories found in this paper and, more importantly, found in great literature.

Towns 4 Works Cited

"65 Bible Verses about Holy Communion." What Does the Bible Say About Holy Communion? Crossway Bibles, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. "The Big Wave." The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck. Powell's Books, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. "Ezra Pound Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. "Five Reasons Why the Bible Is the Most Important Book on Earth." Five Reasons Why the Bible Is the Most Important Book You Will Ever Read. The Pocket Testament League, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2013. "Les Miserables: Themes, Motifs & Symbols." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2013. "Literature - Definition." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2013. "Series Review: The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale." The Book Smugglers. The Book Smugglers, 04 Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.