Contemporary Implications in World Literature

http://www.litkicks.com/RebootingTheArgument

I came across an extremely interesting posting I found to be relevant to the focus of my blog! The author seems to assert the notion that people in our 21st century are not as innovative and creative as the brilliant pioneers, scientists, and artists of the past. It’s an interesting read, as I think he makes some great points regarding the neglect for philosophy and sound ethics in our society today. He draws on flaws in our society he feels correlate to this neglect. It’s a very unique and refreshing approach!

“But after all, we are a young nation, and vanity is a fault of youth.”- Rebecca Davis

Vanity is defined as “excessive pride and admiration in one’s own achievements and appearance.” Wouldn’t it be difficult to argue that as human beings, we aren’t all entitled to a sense of self pride and accomplishment? Why shouldn’t we be proud of ourselves when we achieve a goal, be it in school, in the work place, or our personal lives? It is only natural.

In our class reading of ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich,’ Leo Tolstoy tells the story of a man whose pride and preoccupation with materialistic trivialities transformed his life for the poorer. The novella begins with the announcement of the death of the main character Ivan Ilyich. The story proceeds in a flashback manner, recounting the details of Ivan’s life and how his affair with vanity ultimately lead to a dull life, void of meaningful  and intimate relationships. Ivan is portrayed as a man whose main focus and goal in life was to ascend a social ladder and gain the acceptance and approval of his peers. Ivan neglects the important relationships in his life. He admits that even his decision to marry was not one that was made based on love and emotion; rather he married because ‘his social circle approved of the match.’ Consequently, his life at home was one empty of any meaningful and intimate relationships. Ivan emotionally neglected his family, and even at the time of his death it is difficult for the reader to find a character who is truly heartbroken by the loss.

Was Leo Tolstoy’s purpose for writing this novella to entertain the reader, and make him feel better about his own life? Maybe, but I don’t think that’s a likely cause. In my opinion Tolstoy wrote this novella with a highly satiric undertone, intended for generations after him to grasp and analyze. Tolstoy is making a direct attack on all those in society that are so occupied with superficial matters that they lead a hollow life, vacant of real emotions and relationships that make life meaningful. Tolstoy uses the character of Ivan as a giant warning sign for his audience. Ivan is viewed as a pitiful character, whose fate no person could envy. Readers don’t finish ‘The Death of Ivan Ilych,’ and aspire to mimic the life of Ivan. I think Tolstoy’s objective in writing this novella was to start to turn the gears in the minds of his readers, and have them begin to evaluate their own lives.

In our society today it is so easy to get caught up in a superficial and materialistic life. Everywhere you turn you are reminded that appearance is everything. Be it on a billboard ad, a magazine ad, a commercial, a picture of your favorite celebrity in a magazine, people are reminded every day of the ‘importance’ of appearance and social standings. But after reading “The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ I think it is essential for people to begin to realize their imminent miserable fate when they have a prolonged affair with vanity.

As students in one of the top business schools in the country, many may wonder “Why on earth am I required to take three writing and literature classes in order to graduate?” Some may feel that these required courses are simply a waste of time. How can  literature classes contribute to our future goals of becoming world famous CEOs and/or big shots on Wall Street, right? Wrong.

Ever heard of Socrates? He once said ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ What did he mean by this, and how does this relate to a student taking English 2850 at Baruch College, in the heart of the greatest city in the world? Socrates did not say that the unexamined life is simply ‘less meaningful,’ he said it’s not even worth living. That’s a bold statement. How does one examine their life and reach a place of greater understanding of self?  What can a person do to grow spiritually? I don’t believe that there is one correct answer to these questions, but I do believe that literature gives people the power to transcend.

So many young adults roll their eyes when they find out they are required to read Shakespeare or Tolstoy for their literature class. But maybe there is a method to the madness of a professor who assigned those readings. Centuries after they were written, classic works of literature are still read, studied and analyzed by people across the world. These works are still interpreted hundreds of years later because of the innate power they hold which allows readers to connect with characters, analyze the text with reference to their own lives, and ponder how the themes found in these great works mirror the society they live in. Whether you’re a business major, pre-med student, law school attendee etc. what person would not benefit from the ability to stop, take a minute and analyze their lives to find out how they can improve themselves every day?

The purpose of my blog will be to analyze how texts we read in Professor Smith’s class can echo the contemporary society we live in  and allow us, as college students to examine our lives and broaden our horizons. So even though we may be attending college in the greatest city in the world, perhaps my blog can help us move beyond an empire state of mind, and into the realm of classic world literature.