The Impact of Literature by Meghan

The Impact of Literature by Meghan - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

Our lives are framed based on others experiences. Every action in the beginning stages of our existences has been handcrafted by others attempts at doing them before us. How we are taught, fed, clothed, and heard from an early age has been impacted by others. It is a sheer fact that we mimic the world around us; however, whether or not we truly understand it is the question. English Literature provides a medium for all of us for grasping what really delves behinds a person's mind and consciousness. It creates a means of thinking and approaching our world, and I believe it to be something with the capacity to create remarkable amounts a change and to foster creativity. As someone who strives to make a positive impact, I believe that utilizing pedagogy to teach English literature would fulfill that goal
Literature to me is more than a text to analyze; but rather a peek into someone’s mind. I believe that when we read a book we are given an opportunity to learn about what delves inside of someone; what thoughts keep them up at night, what are their dreams, their hopes, their beliefs. Perhaps that makes me nosy, but I would like to believe that makes me “intellectually curious”. Reading literature is a step towards answering those seemingly rhetorical questions of life. It forces us to think and to answer our own questions, and to me, that makes it worth teaching.
Education in of itself has the capacity to change anything and everything. The first thing dictatorships or governments that discourage free will, will do when they come into power is to shut down education; and there is a reason behind that. Because education fosters free will, critical thinking, and a means to deal with the bigger issues each of us deal with when we are put face to face with the questions that frame our being. Literature provides the tools for us to foster positive change, something I and many others strive to do. In my eyes, English literature is a mechanism of human development and progress, and it possess the ability to revolutionize our world when utilized properly. If the roles were reversed, then I would be teaching English literature on the basis that I believe no other educational discipline holds the same power.