The Importance Of Literature

Literature is an essential part of the center of a person’s life. It provides a certain assurance and “feeds the soul” of one. Whether it be a book, TV, or even an advertisement, literature exists everywhere. A person is able to develop many skills by studying literature, and expand the horizon of their learning. An immeasurable amount of insight and knowledge can be gained from the study of literature which contributes in providing readers with an understanding of the past, and a philosophical assimilation of the moral behind a writing piece.

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 this passage Why Literature Matters by Dana Gioia, he argues the reading is an important thing to be doing.After he collected data which shows that “the declines have been most severe among younger adults”, which explains the reasoning for the lack of creativity and knowledge.Throughout this passage Gioia started it off with a survey that happened then was followed by why the study was important and was explaining the importance of it.

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 the article, “Why Literature Matters,” Dana Gioia predominantly focuses on the use of logos, logical fact-based evidence and stimulating, emotional-based language to entice the audience. Gioia elaborates on the theme of correlation between young adult Americans and the decline of literature in this age group. He continues his argument with the consequences with the decline of literature in the lives of these Americans.

In the passage “Why Literature Matters,” Dana Gioia uses facts and statistics as well as strong word choice and tone to help persuade the audience.

“Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia is a persuasive text on how literary interests have fallen. Gioia starts this claim by giving very promising information. The information has a great accomplishments but, Gioia also tells of how our literary interests as Americans have fallen drastically. A 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts shows that eight of nine major forms of literature show decreased participation by many Americans. The “2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts” gives staggering results according to Gioia about many young Americans neglecting enjoying reading literature.

In the article “Why Literature Matters,” Dana Gioia discusses about how interest displayed in the arts has declined, especially in literature. Gioia uses a variety of different literary tools to create a compelling argument including appealing to the reader’s emotion, using facts and statistics, and creating a “call to action”. Throughout the whole essay, Gioia skillfully plays with the reader’s emotions to convince them. Gioia brings out aspects such as the consequences of the situation.

In today's generation the American arts has slowly died off; the lack of interest for the subject is starting to become non-existent. In this article, “Why Literature Matters”, Dana Gioia is trying to show the major effect that the lack of interest in American arts, especially literature, is having in our society. Gioia uses Diction and Statistic to show credibility in his writing and the negative affect that it is taking on society. In the article, “Why Literature Matters”, Gioia conveys credibility to the reader using diction.

Without literature Americans are facing negative long term social and economic problems. Dana Gioia wrote this passage to persuade people that literature is somthing we need in our society and without it we are doomed.

Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic novel that depicts a grim United States. Montag, the main character, is a firefighter whose job is to find and destroy books by starting them on fire. In this society books are destroyed so the government can maintain effortless control over everyone. Faber, one of Montag’s mentors believes books possess a high quality that no other media can replicate. He said, “So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life.” This quote represents that books can explain or help us understand the little details of life. Since this society doesn’t have books they don’t question life or anything that they are told which makes them easy to govern. Today we have the internet, DVDs, Netflix, and many other media outlets. These new medias raise many new topics, one that would be important to Faber is that whether these medias offer the same qualities that books do.

Gladwell used Aristotle’s techniques of rhetoric, by appealing to ethos, pathos, and logos successfully to further persuade his audience of his argument. First, Gladwell established his character by displaying himself as an intellectual, honest, and of good intentions through his writing style and word choice. Secondly, Gladwell masterfully used pathos to emotionally influenced his audience from their interests and concerns about success to make his argument appeal to his specific audience. Third, Gladwell utilized logos to make his argument strong without emotional and trustworthy factors interfering, and his case stood on its own. Gladwell also mentioned problems and his offered solutions which would alter his thesis of success through a hockey example that is trying to fix the age gap concerning development, “We could set up two or even three hockey leagues, divided up by month of birth. Let the players develop on separate tracks and then pick all-star teams,” (33). As a society, we must change the pattern of success and prove Gladwell’s thesis wrong; we can help one another to be the community required so everyone can prosper and create a sense of equity. Through Gladwell’s efficient use of establishing an image to

The American literary canon presents a one sided view of women, due to the dominance of male authors. Classic American books generally present images of women in a male-centered viewpoint, creating a biased representation of women in literature. In “Feminist Literary Criticism: From Anti-Patriarchy to Decadence,” Anne Barbeau Gardiner states that the American literary canon is “strikingly narrow…prepared by white men whose judgment was prejudiced and whose language was full of gendered meanings.” (Gardiner 395). Gardiner

Indeed, the best works of literature are those which are of relevance to our lives today. Through their relevance, these novels continue to persist and endure on. Through their relevance, we can better comprehend the messages, the themes, and the ideas that are imbued in them. Rather than literature being contradictory and in conflict with the truth and unpleasant reality of daily life, it becomes a weapon through which we can be educated about the existential crises facing our world today. In fact, the statement above could not be more far and distant from the reality of literature today. It is fatally flawed. Literature, whilst at the surface, seems whimsical and amusing is, at its very core, a medium through which we are enlightened

Literature has functioned throughout history as a means of social criticism that is accessible to the lay public. Classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe leverage their plots to reveal alarming realities and comment on social issues. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the earliest examples of literary social criticism. Hawthorne uses the plight of the main character, Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer in a society that severely punishes sinners, to take a stand against Puritanism and the religious conservatism that stains the memory of his ancestors. In a similar fashion, the film Easy A, directed by Will Gluck, confronts puritanical aspects of modern popular culture.