1.

Explain: With the author’s death, there is the reader’s birth when using the
postmodernist/poststructuralist approach to interpret the literary text.

According to a postmodern/poststructuralist approach, to completely comprehend an

element, one must study both the element and the systems of knowledge that produce it. "The
death of the author must entail the birth of the reader," says Roland Barthes. So the author must
die to create a place for the reader, but he also adds that the author's death does not spell the end
of the writer. As a result, the expression "With the death of the author comes the birth of the
reader" is merely a metaphor. Bertens believes that the interaction of text and reader produces
fleeting and distinct moments of meaning. Roland Barthes said clearly that the 'death of the
author' correlates with the 'birth of the reader' by offering greater chances for readers to construct
alternative meanings of literary texts. In my perspective, the death of the author means that the
text becomes infinite when the author dies, but the birth of the reader is not a real birth but may
be obtained by readers who add additional and diversified meaning to what the author wrote.

Reference:LRP_21stCenturyLiterature, https://arthistoryunstuffed.com/roland-barthes-the-death-
of-the-author/

2. How is literature described by poets and critics?

Literature is a broad term that refers to any collection of written material, but it is also
used to refer to works that are regarded to be art forms, such as prose fiction, drama, and poetry .
Poets and critics describe literature in various ways. According to Elaine Showalter, an
American literary critic and feminist advocate, literature is defined by how language is utilized in
novel ways. She describes how literary language distances or alienates ordinary speech while
conversely bringing us into a richer, more personal grip of reality. She stated once more that
literature is "an artistic synthesis of the empirical and the imagination." It draws on experience
but does not rely on it to make its point. Bertens believes that literature has a timeless impact on
society. He claims that we must extract key aspects generated in those classic works that might
be a representation of ourselves as people, and that once we comprehend those classics, they
have a timeless influence on any generation if we discover the classics' relevance in the modern
day. Matthew Arnold, an English educator, and poet, defined literature as poetry. According to
Arnold, science would be incomplete without poetry, since what we now call religion and
philosophy would be supplanted by poetry. According to Arnold, we must turn to poetry to
explain life, to soothe and sustain us. Arnold believed that the study of poetry is the best thing
that has been thought and said in the world. Bertens, on the other hand, disagreed, claiming that
the 'greatest' literary item of one era may not be the best in another, or that 'the best for one
individual is not always the best for another' throughout a given period.
Reference: LRP_21st Century Literature,
3. Why is there a need to familiarize ourselves with works written by women? What do women
write about in the present time?

Because of women's low status in male-dominated countries, their literary tradition has
been largely ignored. Women's literature's objective is to categorize and develop a study area for
a historically vulnerable minority. We need to familiarize ourselves with works produced by
women since it allows us to see literature from a better perspective. It incorporates the ideas and
viewpoints of feminism into the literature we study. Women currently write about gender
equality because females are undervalued, and they write about how and what type of treatment
women deserve. In my view, women play a key part in modern literature since they often contain
strong, independent women who are joined by oppressed women, providing examples to young
women reading and criticizing shortcomings in our society.

4. How do writing and reading literature provide you various viewpoints of people across
cultural and geographical contexts?

Writing and reading literature provides us with a variety of views on people from varied
cultural and geographical backgrounds since it helps us understand others' history, societies, and,
at times, ourselves. Literature helps us to see countries and individuals in their original
environments. We are exposed to a variety of climates, languages, and tones. It also captivates
our curiosity in visiting areas about which we have written or read in literature because we want
to compare and contrast them. Images of geography, climate, and culture come to mind. Through
literature, we can examine causes and effects, as well as evaluate societal change and social
values.

5. Why is it important for Filipinos today to read any form of literature as an act to preserve the
Filipino culture and heritage?

Because culture is a representation of a country's lifestyle and identity, it is important for

us Filipinos today to read any form of literature to preserve Filipino culture and history. Schools
now include them in the curriculum to ensure that students learn about their own culture. For
example, Jose Rizal's writings are taught to pupils at every grade level so that they can learn
about the past and history of the Filipinos. The major reason we should preserve it is that it
defined us as true Filipinos and also to demonstrate to other countries that this is who we were
before technology entered the world. As a Filipino, I'm pleased I read some of our ancestors'
literature since it helped me comprehend our culture while also teaching me moral lessons and
life lessons.