Mohammad Rajib

It's very well known to us that literature is a reflection of the society. Additionally, literature and society both have remained inseparable from each other, for literature cannot sustain without society and likewise the society too cannot be unnoticed in literary pieces in one way or another.

Literature

Literature means something that is written for refreshing and inspiring the mind. It records the thoughts and feelings of great minds. It attracts in two ways-through its matter and through its manner. The matter must be such that those who read it are interested in some way. The manner must be such as will be pleasing to the reader and adds to his fund of knowledge. Literature indeed reflects the society, its good values and its ills. In its corrective function, literature mirrors the ills of the society with a view to making the society realize its mistakes and make amends. It also projects the virtues or good values in the society for people to emulate.

Society

A society is a group of people related to each other through their continuous and uninterrupted relations. It is also a group of like minded people largely governed by their own norms and values. Human society, it is observed, is characterized by the patterns of relationship between individuals who share cultures, traditions, beliefs and values etc. With the passage of time, owing to changes taking place in environment and with emergence of new technologies, we observe that the societies have not remained stubborn with regards to their noms and values, the reflections of which can be found in different forms of literature.

Relationship between Literature and Society

Different societies have used and are still using different languages for the fulfillment of individuals and societies aspirations. Sometimes it is noticed that many charges are labelled against literature as well as society. In every part of the world, literature has been more or less, mirror of society. Because it gives an image, but the image is not necessarily a true image. The image can be distorted in reality or perceived as distorted by society as a whole. Literature can also be distorted by the perception of society looking into the mirror. For example, political commentary has always been a huge part of literature whether covert comments on life through drama or over attack on the political mechanism. These commentaries are often partisan in their attacks and represent a distorted view of society in the mirror, focusing on what the author perceives as a scar. The mirror literature will continue to expose society to views not seen from our place within. We may see scars of political rhetoric, exposed to struggle, or only focus on the beauty of poetry highlighting the best of society.

Influence of Literature on Society

Literature reflects the good and bad aspects of society. It is basically a view of human action and behaviour in words. Literature of a particular period and era can be used to study the social state and structure of that era. The influence of literature on society is felt directly or indirectly. Thus Miss Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' was directly responsible for a movement against slavery in literature and life in USA of those days. The novels of Dickens had an indirect influence in creating in society a feeling for regulating and removing social wrongs, calling for necessary reforms. Sarat Chandra's novels have gone a long way in breaking conservatism as regards women in our society. Literature is made out of the lore of life.

Role of Literature in Society

Literature plays a very important and strong role in the awareness of civilization. It is a way of expressing our thoughts through writing. Sometimes it may be a person who takes leadership to express what society thinks about something through his writing. It may be about government rules, or any other activities happening in this world. Basically literature reflects human activity in that particular society. Literature helps to expose societal realities. Most of the works in literature deal with the social issues in detail which helps people to realize the truth and think it in a different view than the people who don't show their face to literature. Literature carries the real events in the society and presents it as a mirror of the society so that people can view it and atone whatever it is necessary. Literature makes us to deeply analyse societal issues and sometimes it provides us a solution to solve the problem. The poet, the dramatist, the novelist, the essayist all of them reflect society in their works.

Importance of Literature in Society

Literature is important to society because it reflects cultural values and serves as a tool for teaching those values to others. Through literature, people can learn about specific period in history and events that changed the world. Prose and poetry also provide a way to express emotions, raise questions and build critical thinking skills. Literature has had a major impact on the development of society. It has shaped civilisations, changed political systems and exposed injustice. Literature gives us a detailed preview of human experiences, allowing us to connect on basic levels of desire and emotion. It teaches us to analyse a character, allows us to reach inside his or her mind so we see what drives a character, what shapes his or her beliefs and how one relates to others.

That literature is a reflection of the society is a fact that has been widely acknowledged. Literature is not only a reflection of the society but also serves as a corrective mirror in which members of the society can look at themselves and find the need for positive change. With the help of a pen, we can change the mentality of the society. It has evolved many different ideas which have brought social reforms. Today's youth realises the true depth of human emotion and behaviour. They understand that there is more to a person than what they display on the exterior. They see the intricacy of human experience, giving them an open mind and an open heart.

The writer is a, Student of Dept. of English, Comilla University