“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
In today’s world of cut-throat competition and skills-based learning, parents, particularly in India, encourage their children to pursue higher education in the sciences, especially in engineering and medicine as the number of job opportunities in these fields are far more than in any other field. Consequently, there is a predominant idea among large sections of the society in India that those who pursue subjects related to Humanities and Social Sciences are less intelligent and that these subjects are only of academic importance, having no real value in the practical world as they offer limited employment opportunities.
However, such people are mostly ignorant or not highly educated as they tend to make injudicious comparisons between fields of studies, most of them do not realize that the Arts and the Sciences are interconnected. As there have been scientific movements in the course of history, whereby earlier pseudo-scientific notions were replaced with modern inventions and discoveries, so there also have been artistic and literary movements that have displaced the age-old concepts in a similar manner, transposing them with newer approaches. Accordingly, even the study of literature has become more practical in approach and has adopted the experiential method of learning. Few people are aware of the fact that the inspiration behind Einstein’s theory of Relativity was the writings of the sixteenth century philosopher and visionary, Giordano Bruno.
The study of literature has actually had a humanizing effect on people. It has opened the eyes of people to the problems of the world and has enabled them to empathize with the victims of an unequal social order. Knowledge of these has induced many industrialists and business people to involve themselves in philanthropic activities. Also, literature has provided us insights into the cultures and practices of different countries across time Through the study of literature, we have come to know about the social orders of ancient Greece, India and Mesopotamia as well as of Medieval Europe and Early Modern America and Europe.
A Literature also provides us with a welcome respite from the hectic day-to-day lives because it is also a source of entertainment in the form of theatrical productions and films. Good films and plays provide families the opportunity to be together, even if for a short while. This is important in maintaining the familial bond because every individual is always busy in chasing his or her dreams.
Lastly, one cannot help but admit that good stories are always welcomed and they are an integral part of human existence, and all good stories are nothing but literature. Thus, we cannot deny the fact that literature helps in enhancing the whole personality of a reason. It has the power to lead the whole society towards the right path.
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