Why Literature?

Why study literature.. it is only stories…

Why study literature? It is only stories about people, not even real people. Why go through the pain of looking at literary devices: metaphor, simile, symbols? To understand life better? But those things are not real. Only ideas, only assumptions!

Sounds familiar?

Well, how many of us really reflect on what we do every day? How many of us really learn from our mistakes and have the chance to explain what really happened - word by word, with its events, the people and the emotions involved at that time? Usually when asked for an advices, the most that we can do is to say, “Don’t do this, it will hurt you, I have made the same mistake myself. I know it.”  But is it really the same event, the same situation, the same feeling we are experiencing? How do we know for sure? We don’t have the time to bracket one point in time of our lives and really look into it. We lack the expertise to explain what really happened, and how did we really feel: be it during the saddest, the happiest or even the most memorable times of our lives.

Literature does that for us. It helps us to peep into the lives of the characters, their joyous moments, the mistakes the make, the way they learn or not learn from the errors, and the way they handle their lives. We make judgements and comments about those fictitious characters, saying what should and should have not been done. Since they are fictitious, no one is offended. But in the process, we start to look into our own lives. We could have done the same thing in that same situation, and since we ‘see’ the possible outcome, we could now think of alternatives to the same problem.

That is only one of the many benefits of studying literature. If today, we think that it is pointless studying the works of some dead writers,  think again. We may not like the novel, the short stories, the play or the drama, but aren’t our lives a story in itself? We can never loathe it, erase our stories and to choose to write another.  We ARE the writers of our life stories. We ARE making our piece of literature. Just that, no one is reading it except for ourselves.

How to feel sad?

Happy is a feeling welcomed by most. Sadness? If we have a choice, we would rather not feel sad.

It"s good to have a hearty laugh, but not a silent cry.

However, the experience of sadness usually makes us think, reflect, ponder and consider what to do next. Unhappy situations provide us the opportunity to develop. To become more matured. Sad but true.

We wish that even if we are sad,we will not shed tears. The negative feeling is not to be revealed. Kept as a secret. 

Can we choose how we feel?

 

All the time? 

Going home? Balik Kampung?

It is like a time-out from the hustle and bustle of the city life.  Time to enjoy the serenity of the village, experience relaxed environment of the place and its people. When i lived in Kuala Selangor for almost 10 years, i did not really feel "balik kampung' for raya an event i look forward to. Well, mom and dad are in KL and raya means going back to town (ha ha ha) not going back to the village. Living in KL since I was born and until finishing my first degree at the age of 24 has made me feel that KL is my city and my village. First experience getting posted to Kuala Pilah was a real challenge. Waa...... no place for shopping, not many fast food restaurants.. Help!!! But i survived there for two years (without injuries, mind you). And then after marriage, I got posted to another "kuala" (Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Pilah - Kuala Selangor), which is Kuala Selangor.  Not sad actually, but felt troubled. Could i survive here? It is so far away from my city-village. Although not as far as Kuala Pilah but still... and funnily now i have a house there. Kuala Selangor has made me become a man (meaning a better person, coz no one ever say "become a woman" ever, right?) I learn about life, people, and how to connect with others, older, younger, teenagers and most importantly, the community.  I think i would not have had these wonderful experiences if i were to live in KL all those ten years I lived in Kuala Selangor. No, not to belittle my "tempat tumpah darahku" but all of us just need a new environment to learn new things about life. I value the ten years I spent there. Now i am back in KL, balik kampung means going back to my husband's hometown (for my children) especially. They enjoyed it this time especially because they got the opportunity to meet their cousins. Balik Kampung? Of course children enjoy it the most coz it's time to play, and mothers cannot say anything (granny is watching..)

READing is a pleasure..

Despite being in the era of technology, the hobby of reading stories, novels or fiction has not lost its place in our hearts.  This is because, every time there is a book or warehouse sales, we will see many people trying to get the genres they like at a cheaper price. And these book lovers will buy as many books as they can afford during these sales.  I find reading a wonderful experience.  We are taken into a different world altogether. We can choose whether we want to be in the modern world, Shakepearean world, Renaissance era, in Malaysia, in Asia or anywhere at all.  We can also choose to criticise the characters in the stories, gossip about them, despise or love these characters without having the fear of someone being offended with these actions of ours.  We can choose to condemn people without being afraid of taken to court.  Interestingly, we can feel attached to some events or people although they are fictitious.  Students of literature speak of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet as if they are alive. We take pride in using phrases like "to be or not to be" or "when shall we meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain" as though those are dialogues of real people. Reading is indeed a wonderful experience. Lets start to read with our hearts, not just with our eyes...

Literature in English

MAIN REFERENCES Bressler, C.E. (2010). Literary criticism: An introduction to theory and practice. London:Prentice-Hall, International Edition.   ISBN: 0131534483 • 9780131534483 Poplawaski, P. Eds. (2007). English literature in context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

ADITIONAL REFERENCES Bate, J. (2010). English literature: A short introduction. London: Oxford University Press. Bennet, A. (2009). An Introduction toLiterature: Criticism and Theory. London: Longman. Eagleton, T. (2008). Literary theory: An introduction. London: Blackwell Publishing. Innes, C.L. (2007). The Cambridge introduction to post-colonial literature. London: Cambridge University Press.

Quayum, Mohammad A. and Wicks, Peter C. (2001). Malaysian literature in English: a critical reader.

Kuala Lumpur: Pearson Education Sdn. Bhd.

SHORT STORIES

“Hills Like Elephants” (Hemingway) OR “Three Hours Between Planes” (Fitzgerald)

“A Little Place off the Edgware Road” (Greene) OR “The Mahogany Table” (Townsend Warner)

 “His Country – Afterall” (Lawson) OR “Down at the Dump” (White)

 “Civil Peace” (Achebe) OR “Africa Emergent” (Gordimer)

“A Dream of China” (Yu) OR “Pigeons At Daybreak” (Desai)

“Shame” (Shirley Lim) OR “Most Improved” (Muhammad Masri)  OR “A New Year’s Day  Lunch in Kia Peng” (Karim Raslan)

PLAYS

“The System of Professor Tuko”   (Al Santos)  OR *The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole (Kuo Pao Kun)

"We Could **** You, Mr.Birch" (Kee Thuan Chye)

NOVELS

Malaysian

“Scorpion Orchid” by Lloyd Fernando

Asian

“The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan

Three Beserah Fishermen

Muhammad Haji Salleh's "Two Beserah Fishermen" portrays the difficulties faced by fishermen.  The fishermen are referred to as "three small souls". The choice of the word "small" and the phrase "in a frail old sampan" suggests how these fishermen have to face big challenges in the vast blue sea.  This idea of the fisherman's difficult life is further enhanced in the lines "there was no choice/ against the big winds/ and the capricious sea." From the first stanza itself, we could sense that being a fisherman is not easy. It is challenge of small soul in a big "capricious" sea, where the "big winds" blow with no mercy because "the wind has no heart."

There is a sense of despair in the voice of the persona. It seems as if a fisherman has to fight a battle which is almost impossible to win. However, these fishermen are aware that although "the wind has no heart," there is still "a promise of hope" "between the stretches of a red imagination."  This is because the fishermen do not live himself, but also for his family - "the wives, sons and daughters,"  and it is their responsibility as the head of the family to "go down into the bottom of the sea-dish" and "to swim into time and hope." Despite the challenges, and a tinge of hopelessness, the fishermen who realize that "to survive was as difficult as to die," anchor all their hopes in the big blue sea knowing that "to be responsible is to love/ and love is to live/ to be rich in life."

This is a poem about despair and hope, and the courage to survive. One has to continue to live, despite difficulties, and to do so, one has to find the drive to move on. For the fishermen, 'the drive' is their family at home, and the responsibilities they have to fulfill as the heads of their families.

23 October 2011

Books! Lets read...

Good as a quick reference to writing about literature, i.e. writing short stories, novel or a play.  Also beneficial for students who intend to get information on how to write critical essays.  Sample of students' essays are also included.  Worth buying. I bought it at Pekanbuku Universiti Malaya for only RM52.20.

Another good book for reference for those who want to know basic information about poetry.

 

 

My new collections bought at the Big Bad Wolf warehouse sale recently.  Looking forward to read them..

Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird

                             (by Amir Aizuddin and Erni Suliza)

1.       He has influenced his children in terms of maturity.

ü  “First of all” he said “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

(Atticus page 39)

2.       He is the most influential person in Maycomb.

ü   He has been chosen to defend Tom Robinson.

ü  Even though he loses in the trial, the blacks respect him because he has done  justice in the trial by doing his best in presenting Tom’s case

ü  One thing about the Cunningham: once you earned their respect, they were for you tooth and nail. (fully  supportive)  - Atticus puts Cunningham as the one of the jury because he knows they are supporting him. He had gained their considerable respect from them on the night at jail. (Page 326)

3.       His character contributes to build the character of Jem and Scout

ü  Atticus advices his children to be fair to everyone and not to be someone that will discriminate other people for their social status

Ø Scout wants to invite Walter Cunningham for dinner, but Aunt Alexandra protests. She claims that they are not our kind of folks

4.       Atticus also instills good moral values.

ü  He treats his children like adults

ü  He answers all the confusion that his children have in mind.

ü  The most important values that Atticus has taught his children is that anyone who takes advantage and cheat from those who are less fortunate and less educated has the lowest rank in the society. (page 295)

5.        Atticus as the symbol of consistency.

ü  He is not affected by prejudice.

ü  He is not easily affected by other people in the town.