what would happen if literature was no longer studied?

Question

I have a really difficult english assignment about the study of literature and about the particular piece "Heart of Darkness". Any help would be really really greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

What would happen if literature was no longer studied? I've thought about this a lot.

There are a lot of different arts in our society. Why do high schools teach literature over visual art, film, drama, sculpture, music, dance, or even graffiti?

Literature shapes the way we use language. Think of all the cliches or sayings that you use in a day. 'Dead as a doornail', 'solid as a rock', 'hotter than hell' - all these were created by writers. Books often influence, or at least reflect, the way we talk and think in our language.

Also, the books that our society chooses to honor by studying them are the books that enter our collective consciousness and influence the way we view our world. Imagine if you'd never had to read "Lord of the Flies" in English class. You would not have such a comprehensive view of societies in chaos, or of human relations generally. Plus, you'd never have gotten that Simpsons episode. If you'd never read "The Bluest Eye", you would not understand race relations as well as you do.

Studying literature forces us to place importance on subjects that other classes do not have the scope for. You can't learn about madness in math class, but you can in "The Bell Jar". Books, and characters, are a way for us to see how we fit into our society by giving us a sample of the types of people that populate the planet, and how they interact.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Plot Overview
Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company, a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo. As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters widespread inefficiency and brutality in the Company’s stations. The native inhabitants of the region have been forced into the Company’s service, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Company’s agents. The cruelty and squalor of imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with the impassive and majestic jungle that surrounds the white man’s settlements, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness.

Put in search in the search engine and you can find alot on this.
Losing literature would be like losing the world of imagination for me.