The Importance Of Knowledge In Literature

Admittedly before reading The Norton Introduction to Literature section of our reading homework my perception of literature is mostly based on stereotypes and misconceptions. For instance, I am not sure why despite the fact that I genuinely enjoy reading I have avoided literature to a degree. I am not sure if I thought I might not comprehend the books content or author’s intent. Or because social stereotypes suggest literature to be the property of Harvard elite and English gentleman instead a common man such as myself? Either way after reading the books introduction to literature I now understand how it can reflect perceptions, preconceptions, and most importantly misconceptions in human society from both the author and readers views point.

47. “...to get the most out of your reading of European and American literatures, knowing something about the Old and New Testaments is essential. Similarly, if you undertake to read literature from an Islamic or a Buddhist or a Hindu culture, you’re going to need knowledge of other religious traditions.” This is because religion shapes different culture and to better understand allusions in literature, one must understand biblical references. Or being aware of religious traditions and culture of a country outside yours can help you better understand the

In the passage “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, Gioia states that the decline of interest in reading in America is decreasing. She then claims that this lack of interest will hold negative effects on the future of our society. Gioia uses facts and evidence to support her claim.

In “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” Edwards incorporates biblical references to craft a great picture of the glory of God. According to Edwards, the light of God is “obtained wholly natural or of no superior kind” through the daily actions of man (Miller). Edwards brings forth a critical point, throughout the sermon emphasizing that every aspect of nature influences the spirit of God. Additionally, the Holy Spirit functions in the minds of humans and inanimate objects by exerting its nature and living within its natural host (Miller). Throughout the piece, Edwards assures the reader that the divine light can only be obtained from God and not by another natural means. Edwards’ marvelous piece of literature allows the reader to realize that there is no deeper reality and value than the glory of God through his only son Christ. To truly find the salvation of God, man must be able to let go of the unearthly sin that is consistently brought up by Satan himself. By removing society's prejudices, Edwards’ states, that “ the human mind becomes susceptive of the due force of rational judgments for their truth” (Miller 360). The ultimate goal of man is to see and savor the triumphant glory of God to obtain complete salvation. Through the extensive use of imagery, Edwards provides the reader with the opportunity to visually comprehend that spiritual knowledge is acquired in the heart as a feeling of human delight (Trang). Furthermore, in the sermon, Edwards personifies God as the sun because God strives to illuminate objects so that man can be able to perceive the extraordinary miracles and graces of Christ. Edwards also points out that the spiritual light of God is not designed to instill new ideas or doctrines, rather the Holy Spirit is meant to aid man in conveying eternal truths (Miller). Furthermore, through the use of comparison and contrast, Edwards once again assists the reader in understanding that God’s spiritual light is not acquired from heresy and rational understanding; rather, it can develop as a delightful pleasure within our hearts. To achieve a sense of spiritual excellence, man must possess a conviction of truth and reality for the spirit of God to have a dominant presence in the human soul

In the book Everything I Never Told You, there are many different elements and techniques used within the book. The technique that I want to go into more depth on is the use of symbolism. I specifically want to focus on the symbolism in regards to Lydia, Hannah, and Nath’s love of astronauts and space.

Every individual has their own personal worldview despite their race, religion, sex and age. One’s worldview is that particular person’s own perception and how that person shapes their beliefs concerning the world around them. The framework of one’s worldview is what personally defines that person’s reality. One’s worldview is important because one’s perceptions and principles dictate one’s actions. A biblical worldview are values, perspectives and principles that are biblically based. Values, principles and perspectives shape and mold how decisions are made in one’s life. Having a biblical worldview helps to govern one’s lifestyle to be a reflection of God. Those who have a biblical worldview have the belief that humans were put on earth to be the image of God, therefore we should shape our behaviors to be like Him. A biblical worldview can only be established by the investigation of information provided by the Bible to determine truth and principles that ultimately shapes one’s conduct. The purpose of education is to guide humans into their purpose in life. The Christian philosophy of education helps create a platform for biblical truth and principles to be investigated for the purpose of transmitting

This essay originally titled Studying Literature in Grade 12, has an abundance of information regarding and convincing the readers that the grade twelve English course should be composed of Canadian literature. The grammar in this essay however, was weak. The subject did not agree to their pronouns, making many sentences awkward. Overall, improvements could have been made. Some of these include MLA format, the title, introduction paragraph, grammar, punctuation and the citation format.

In the article “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, she is trying to persuade the audience that the decline of reading in America has a negative impact. She does this by using logos and diction in her writing to make her claim stronger. Dana Gioia uses logos, which is putting facts into the article. This is proven in the second paragraph when she states “According to the 2002 survey of Public Participation in the Arts… arts participation by Americans has declined for eight of the nine major forms”. Gioia uses facts from a relible resource, which makes her claim stronger.

In Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s interactions with his career as a fireman, his conversation about books with Clarisse, and his past when meeting Faber cause his growth as a character and helps develop the theme that uncensored knowledge is the only way to overcome an oppressive government. While Montag’s occupation as a fireman is initially viewed as an honorable job, as Montag begins to read books. he discovers that books, and by extension, knowledge, can be powerful. In this dystopian society, the government demands the firemen to burn books because the government believes that knowledge can spark rebellions and an upheaval of the government. Being a fireman makes Montag burns books unaware of the true power and knowledge that books contain.

The book, The Christian Imagination, edited by Leland Ryken, attempts to address this reality, and at moments excels, and at other times struggles to make

In Why Literature Matters Author Dana Gioia expresses and supports his opinion on why schools should support and teach arts and literature. Gioia shows the rapid decline in Americans not reading literature anymore, he shows the consequences you will face in the real world, like when you try to get a job. Gioia uses facts and statistics throughout the essay, as well as appealing to your patriotism.

Dana Gioia, author of the article "why Literature Matters", writes about the decline of reading in the U.S. and how it affects our society. The consequences of people not reading are expressed through his specific factual evidence and his prediction of what is going to happen if the American people continue to ignore this issue.

Reflecting on chapter fourteen of Barbara Brown Taylor’s book “The Preaching Life”, I gained great insight into the understanding of imagination, and its relationship to conscious reality. Taylor, in this autobiographical insight of her life as an Episcopal Priest and Preacher, presents the reader with the challenge of understanding the concept of imagination, as perceived through the eyes of children versus the lack of imagination in adults. . Moreover, it is a comparison and contrast to the imagination, as it is perceived, applied, and evaluated through the eyes of adults. Possibilities are what children perceive through imagination, where as adults often see problematic probabilities. Her scenarios about children’s play and discovery are a reminder that followers of Christ need to redirect their thoughts and actions toward the positives of life, and avoid the negatives.

     Christians may also see a completely new dimension to the Bible; as a source of information. People aren’t truly Christians unless they believe in the faith for themselves and before they can do this, they need to understand the faith – they can find this out from the Bible.

The continuing emergence of innovative writing technologies allows people to express themselves and communicate in countless different ways from years past. With these new technologies comes a change in many of our learning and social traditions. The most important change is the metamorphosis taking place in the online literary world. The line between author and reader has become blurred as more and more technology-driven literature, like hypertext fiction, has become interactive. The whole idea of authorship has changed, which in turn affects the role of the reader.