Literature serves a variety of functions for a variety of people. It's a way for some to escape reality, while it's a way for others to improve their exam scores. Everyone's definition of literature is different.
It may be a submarine that transports you to the depths of life or a rocket that allows you to peer into the infinite expanse of the mind.
For me, it’s a device to explore human beings and their worlds. Some create magic, while others show destruction. It's a deep study of imagination for me. People's ability to create something spectacular out of nothing.
I am assigned to coin metaphor for such a diverse topic. I have tried my best and am presenting something that makes sense to me.
Time-machine
Literature as a whole is a record of a specific period of time. We can go back in time and relive it. Through Dickens' writings, we may explore 1850s London and through Jane Austen, we can encounter unique Victorian characters. We can see the American dream as depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald and discuss the meaning of life with Albert Camus at a Parisian cafe. You can join Sherlock Holmes in solving a case or Wordsworth in admiring the daffodils. You can meet Ruskin Bond in the Missouri highlands or go with James Joyce in Dublin. The possibilities are almost endless. As a result, I believe literature is a time machine that allows us to travel far and wide.
Such sites and persons have been discovered by me. I've watched Bard’s plays in London theatres in the 1600s, and I've listened to John Keats tell stories about a strange lady who enslaves men. I've witnessed Bhagat Sinh working for Indian independence and Malgudi children playing. I've seen the Hogwarts magic and the pain in Gatsby's eyes as he stared at the green light. I evacuated Afghanistan with Kanishka and stayed with Watanabe in Tokyo. I've witnessed gods' wrath and Peter Pan's courage.
I think that is why George Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
In literature, I hope you find a moment in time, a place where your heart feels at ease. Keep Exploring!
