The Project of Literature

Why?

• THINK OF and LIST 10 reasons that you believe we study literature…

Why Study Literature?Those of use who have been

readers all of our lives seldom realize the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors…

In reading great literature, I become a thousand men and yet remain myself.

~ C.S. Lewis

Starts at Youth

• What we learn from childhood stories

• Foundational lessons and skills

We are Taught…

• Lives are inspired through themes…• Lessons are learned through errors…• Hope is found in feats…

A Moment in Time

• History is told through events…• History is told through people…• History is depicted culture…• History is seen in attitudes…• History is revaled in actual experiences…

The People

• A person is revealed by their attitudes…• The truth is seen in their inner-desires…• A person is made real by their fears…• A person is made or broken through their

struggles…• A person’s heart is shown through their

joys…

At the Heart of it All…

• The stories can make us joyful… • The pains can make us sad… • The situations can evoke throughfulness… • The irony can produce humor…

The Culture of the Land…

• How is culture seen in people’s attitudes?• How are a nation’s values seen in their fears

and struggles?• How does an expression of joy give you

insight to a culture?• How can a government be revealed

through its people ?

To Grow in Writing…

• Understanding language as a medium…• Bringing context to life…• Further applied to knowledge…

As Mark Twain said…

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.

Let’s look at it!

• The Hebrew culture can be found in the Bible…– Prodigal son– Job

Let’s look at it!

• Historical events in poetry– Maya Angelou

• Historical events in song lyrics– Dixie Chicks