What does literature tell us about what it means to

be human?
Literature is as archaic as the human race yet ironically holds all of our humanity. Open-mindedly, literature is more
than just texts but a bridge between ourselves and humankind. One may read a piece of literature that doesn’t encompass
their values or interest yet gives them perspective as to a new way of thinking. Literature can be explorative, nostalgic, and
even whimsical depending on point of view. The question of what reading tells us is more of the matter of what literature is
showing us. Personally, I believe that literature reveals to us that human beings are self-conscious, self-reflecting, and
transformative.

Literature retains themes that serve to teach us lessons on the premise of a literary text. For example, the short
story of the race between the turtle and the rabbit emphasizes how slow and steady wins the race. The over-confidence
and embellishing nature of the rabbit made him arrogant. In the situation, the finish line can represent accomplishing a goal
while the rabbit can act as an obstacle in one’s path. Lessons are a defining aspect of literature. One passage that stood
out to me in terms of theme is The Black Ball by Ralph Ellison. Black Ball is a glimpse into segregated jim crow America
through an elaborate object, a ball. Ellison states on the last page “He had already played with the ball; that he would
discover later. He was learning the rules of the game already, he didn’t know it”(The Black Ball pg. 124). This was a
shocking read because the child’s ball became a symbolic object that could be interpreted in many ways. I saw the ball as
prejudice and discrimination that the boy would face later on in life. Versatility is a powerful aspect of literature.

I’ve always wondered why multiple people can read a literary passage but obtain different themes from the
readings. Some say it is that everyone is looking through their own lens when reading. On the contrary, I believe it is
because we are all subconsciously searching for takeaways that resonate with any emotions, circumstances, or, blatantly,
any events we experience. To put into vantage point, Faulkner affirmed: “Miss Emily just stared at him, her head titled back
in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up”(A Rose for Emily
pg. 5). The lesson from this interaction could be the druggist representing societal negligence and Emily representing the
mentally ill per se. A homeless individual sitting near a street light may attract a person who has experienced poverty to
give him money to support himself. In the same scenario, another person who views homeless people as those that have
plunged themselves into their very situation may walk past the homeless individual with no pity or remorse. Perspective is
a very essential characteristic of literature.

Authors play a very important role in what literature truly is. Individuality is what separates authors from one
another. For instance, The Killers by Ernest Hemingway was a short story unlike any other because of the unique
structure. Hemingway allowed readers to learn as the story progresses. Within the text, Hemingway states “Inside the
kitchen he saw Al, his derby hat tipped back, sitting on a stool beside the wicket with the muzzle of a sawed-off shotgun
resting on the ledge”(The Killers pg.4). It’s amazing that readers don’t have any context as to the sawed-off shotgun until it
is introduced in the passage. Hemingway’s writing style is one of many techniques that writers use to allure readers. A
door into the past is open for readers through Hemingway’s story. Correlations with a time of crime bosses in Chicago can
be drawn near the end of the story. Similarly, in The Story Of An Hour, it phrased “When the doctors came they said she
had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills”(The Story Of An Hour pg. 2). The end result of Mrs. Mallard dying of a heart
attack was unbeknownst to readers until the very end but hinted throughout the passage. Essentially, authors have no
authority to literature yet can channel it with their own twists and turns.

A very powerful work of literature is unmistakably Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is a very
influential literary figure. Hamlet is a story in which Shakespeare conveyed many themes and developed an intricate plot
through various acts. The most amazing literary piece I’ve ever read has to be Hamlet’s vibrant soliloquy on life.

“to be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep—No more—
and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what
dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes
calamity of so long life.”(Hamlet pg. 1144-1150)

Hamlet’s questioning of his existence and even suicidal thoughts is a thought-provoking monologue. Self-reflection
on a broad scale is exemplified through the soliloquy. The initial line “to be or not to be” may very well say “to live or to die”
in context with the rest of the soliloquy. Hamlet’s descriptive verses of humanity and the challenges we endure is the
epitome of literature in my opinion. Pulling in a universal outlook on the human race and turmoil caused by existing not
only corresponds with Hamlet but also many other literary pieces. Hamlet is an excellent story that encompasses our
humanity in a time period in which new ideologies weren’t traversed intently.
 At first, the art of passing down information via writing was a means of storing knowledge that could be applied to
later generations and potentially make life easier. At some point and time, literature wasn’t of utmost importance to
humans in regards to survival. Literature became a mirror that allowed us to fantasize and immerse ourselves in the past.
It truly is a powerful tool. We didn’t just have the chance to relive the past but the ability to learn from the past as well. New
knowledge transforms individuals on the basis of said person’s principles. The transformation could be day-to-day such as
a lifestyle change or even psychological like ideology.

Literature is a wake-up call for understanding one’s humanity. Knowing people have made the same mistakes or
earned the same accomplishments as you is one of many ways to interpret literature. Best put by Foster, “We’ve all read
the same story, but we haven’t use the same analytical apparatus”(How to Read Literature like a Professor pg. 2). You can
scratch the surface of reflecting on a piece of a literary text or take an in-depth analysis of who you are, what you are, how
you are, etc. Limitless is a good word to define the bond between humankind and literature.

Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour. Perfection Learning, 2001.

Ellison, Ralph. “The Black Ball.” The Black Ball, by Ralph Ellison, Penguin, 2018, pp. 115–124.

Faulkner, William, and Ōhashi Kenzaburō. A Rose for Emily and Other Stories. Kairyudo, 1956.

Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: for Kids. Harper, 2013.

Hemingway, Ernest, and Keiichi Harada. The Killers & Other Stories. Shimizu Shoin, 1966.

Thompson, Ann. “Hamlet 3.1: ‘To Be or Not to Be.’” The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare,
edited by Bruce R. Smith, by Katherine Rowe et al., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 1144–1150.