Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? -- > rape
Hills Like White Elephants -- > abortion
The Destructors -- > war/extreme vandalism
Most Dangerous Game -- > hunting/killing
Interpreter of Maladies -- > adultery/guilt/failed relationships
How Far She Went -- > abduction
The Rockinghorse Winner -- > gambling/death
The Rockinghorse Winner -- > gambling/death
I would have to say all of these are some variant of a dark, twisted, violent, or depressing story. Is this characteristic of literary works in general? Perhaps.
It cannot be denied that an uncanny number of the stories we've read are of this nature. But it may be too big of an assumption to conclude that this is the "true nature" of literary fiction because it is perhaps not entirely intentional that the circumstances are as it is. Not all literature is dark--we've learned recently that humor can exist in literary works. But the high occurrences of death, murder, rape, etc. readily eclipses the light-heartedness that may exist. Why is this so?
You would have to recall the purpose of literary texts. They aren't written to make us feel good-- quite the contrary in fact. They reveal some profound truth about human nature. And chances are, whatever is worth revealing about human nature is not gloriously wonderful. In truth, humans are mostly quite aware of the gloriously wonderful parts of their nature. It's the dark side, the side that involves murder, rape, death, and adultery that people are prone to avoid in everyday thought. Literature is a world of deep exploration of hidden universal truths, ones that are presumably not the most delightful. They are written to make us feel uncomfortable, informed, and enlightened.
Further, the use of dark, twisted stories are considerably more memorable. I am much more likely to remember a shockingly violent story than one filled with mildness. Understanding the heavy themes of literature is important, but the impression it leaves is perhaps even more significant.
The moodiness of literature actually serves a purpose. It's all about impact.
It cannot be denied that an uncanny number of the stories we've read are of this nature. But it may be too big of an assumption to conclude that this is the "true nature" of literary fiction because it is perhaps not entirely intentional that the circumstances are as it is. Not all literature is dark--we've learned recently that humor can exist in literary works. But the high occurrences of death, murder, rape, etc. readily eclipses the light-heartedness that may exist. Why is this so?
You would have to recall the purpose of literary texts. They aren't written to make us feel good-- quite the contrary in fact. They reveal some profound truth about human nature. And chances are, whatever is worth revealing about human nature is not gloriously wonderful. In truth, humans are mostly quite aware of the gloriously wonderful parts of their nature. It's the dark side, the side that involves murder, rape, death, and adultery that people are prone to avoid in everyday thought. Literature is a world of deep exploration of hidden universal truths, ones that are presumably not the most delightful. They are written to make us feel uncomfortable, informed, and enlightened.
Further, the use of dark, twisted stories are considerably more memorable. I am much more likely to remember a shockingly violent story than one filled with mildness. Understanding the heavy themes of literature is important, but the impression it leaves is perhaps even more significant.
The moodiness of literature actually serves a purpose. It's all about impact.
I have been a little suprised by all the depressing works we've read this far. I wish our curriculum included a little more humor, but I do enjoy discovering all of these different insights on human life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. Using heavily emotionally charged stories tend to get your point across much better. This is especially true with short stories, since they have less time to get to their message.
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