Literature and Culture

The literature of a certain time period seems to reflect the culture the more I learn and understand the various societal influences and contexts of different works. Within the Romantic era and up to modern movements of the early twentieth century, there seem to be many various changes within the British culture that effect the writings prevalent at that time.  From the dreamy poetic language and imagery in much of the literature of the Romantic period, a sense of longing is present. The Victorian Era addresses stereotypical gender roles, especially in Northanger Abbey showing a female protagonist can act on her own volition. The works of the twentieth century stray away from Gothic tales to focus on the serious issues at hand, like war or colonialism.

Since a function of literature is a way to reflect the society of the time, it would seem that the natural progression of changes within writing was closely intertwined with the happenings of the culture. The Romantic and Gothic movements served a space for escape from the surrounding world. However, poems like "The Chimney Sweeper" by William Blake acted as a way to address child labor in a personal narrative of orphans slaving away in grimy, unhealthy conditions. In comparison, Wordsworth's ability to captivate the reader through dreamy imagery while addressing issues was more of an indirect commentary to the issues at bay.

As time progressed to the twentieth century, the ever looming threat of war and the reality of loss brought out harsh realities in literature. In particular, T.S. Elliot's "The Wasteland" unfolded as an intense snapshot of the feelings of the people of England in WWI. Through it's depressing sense of loss and longing for a new start, the poem, riddled with allusions and metaphors, describes a culture desperate to escape the harsh realities of war. Throughout the couple hundred years of literature we read, issues being addressed reflect the voices of the oppressed, those in despair and those that wish to entertain. One of the biggest things I noticed through the progression of time was the way issues were addressed. The earlier works wrote around issues, while the future addressed them head on. Urgency and the severity of issues seems to effect the approach as much as the content that is being addressed.