“What is the meaning of life? That was all- a simple question; one that tended to close in on one with years, the great revelation had never come. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark; here was one.” ― Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
Writing a blog on ‘Why Literature Matters’, my first thought was, “Where do I start?”
Do I begin in a grandiose fashion by travelling back to the writers of ancient civilizations such as the Greek tragedians Sophocles and Euripides, revisit the medieval poetry of Chaucer or delve into the great dramatic body of work of William Shakespeare?
Do we start with the birth of the novel in the 18th century or find our footing in the enduring power of 19th century poetry, fiction and drama?
The great works of this era dealt with characters striving to make sense of the Industrial Revolution, political and philosophical turmoil, and the changing roles of women as the century progressed: Jane Austen, George Eliot and Wordsworth in Britain, Flaubert and Proust in France, Tolstoy and Chekhov in Russia and Ibsen in Norway, to name just a few, held up a lens to the society of their times.
And in modern and contemporary authors such as F Scott Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Samuel Beckett and Kazuo Ishiguro, we have been gifted a journey into the lives of others.
Their works have often been psychologically insightful and helped us as readers to understand ourselves a little better, as well as provide a window into our own and others’ cultures and societies.
Transformation and revelation in Literature
With the passing on 27 July 2024 of the Irish author Edna O’Brien, the notion of why literature matters came into sharp focus, with tributes published by writers from around the world, celebrating the bravery and honesty in her writing that helped to break down barriers for Irish women writers that came after her.
Her first novel, The Country Girls (1960) addressed sexual matters and social issues during the post-WW2 period in Ireland, through the experiences of two young women leaving rural life and trying to make their way in the world.
The book was banned and burned in Ireland on publication, yet O’Brien has continued to produce a body of work that inspired women and men up until her death at 93.
The Irish author Colm Tóibín spoke of the writers who mattered to Edna O’Brien – Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and TS Eliot. He said, “She was fascinated by how elements of their lives had appeared in novels and poems, how they had been transformed from merely autobiography into something grander and mysterious.” (The Guardian, 29 July 2024)
Another contemporary Irish writer, Eimear McBride, captured something about the immutable quality of her writing. “She held social niceties in low regard and sacred cows in none. And readers loved Edna…For many women, this was for the voice she gave them and for many men, the insight she shared. But for all, it was for the deep joy her writing gave and the courage her life displayed.” (The Guardian, 29 July 2024).
A celebration of the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth
2 August 2024 marks 100 years since the birth of the American writer and activist James Baldwin (1924-1987), whose works are still powerfully relevant in today’s world. Through essays, fiction, poetry and drama, he was an influential social critic in the civil rights movement, uplifting the national dialogue on racial and sexual oppression in 50s and 60s America.
Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) and Notes of a Native Son (1955) secured his reputation. The long short story, ‘Sonny’s Blues’ (1957), about two brothers growing up in Harlem who follow different paths, tells the story of racism in society but the beauty and power in the narrative is through an exploration of the brothers’ love - the human condition.
In Giovanni’s Room (1956), set in 1950s Paris, Baldwin presents a complex depiction of homosexuality, with the main character struggling to love and be loved. Baldwin felt American society’s focus on rigid categories was a way of limiting freedom, that human sexuality is more fluid and less binary than the common view held at the time.
“At the core of the novel lies Baldwin’s recognition that with a denial of suffering and pain as a means of happiness, there can be no feeling, understanding, or real connection in life.” (Tom Jenks, The Guardian, 2 August 2024)
An activist for change at the most fundamental human level, Baldwin recognised that his writings would be controversial. “The rise and fall of one’s reputation,” he mused. “what can you do about it? I think that comes with the territory.” (The New York Times, Dec 2, 1987).
He continued to work and publish until his death in 1987, his characters often manifesting an existential loneliness, yet there was a positivity coming from his deep humanity.
The value of reading and knowing
At a time when schools and universities are dropping Humanities subjects, it has never been more important for people to be aware of what’s out there and to keep reading, to ensure that the literary record of what came before is not lost and can continue to enrich people’s lives.
The Literature programme at City Lit is committed to this enrichment for adults of all ages.
Tutors share their knowledge and enthusiasm, introducing great writers from all periods of time, authors who cared about the world they lived in and how people lived their lives, exploring communities coming together and apart, and relationships in all their complexity.
At City Lit our aim is to share and explore this knowledge, reading and discussing how novels, short stories, poems, dramas, literary essays and memoirs influence our thinking as we go through different stages in our lives.
As readers we are not alone, for literature enables us to make sense of the world around us and to explore our humanity. Not only can it be a recorder of cultural and social history, but it can often provide us with empathy for characters in different situations to ourselves. It helps us with critical thinking and encourages us to be creative.
Study at City Lit
Explore our exciting range of Literature courses, from Literary History, to specialist courses in Fiction, Poetry and Drama. We offer introductory and in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, where you can revisit classic texts and discover new writers.
