Literary Value: Different Readings and Perspectives

 What do we value in literature?

 Why is some literature valued more than others?
 Does our valuing of literature change over time? 

The Literary Canon refers to a selected body of texts referred to as ‘classics’, written
over the last one thousand years because they are  seen to have value and
significance not only by audiences at the time when they were written, but also by
succeeding generations of audiences.
The value and significance of a classic is closely associated with its style (e.g.
Shakespearean Tragedy.) It is determined by its artistry in composition - the
composer’s distinctive treatment of genre, form, setting, characterisation, themes
and language.

Literary Value
Certain texts have been designated as ‘highly valued’ and have been accorded
‘canonical’ or ‘classic’ status because ‘experts’ declare them to have universal and
timeless appeal. However, the value of any text is always under revision as the
principles and processes for ascribing value vary across time and cultures and as
popular culture texts emerge as classics. Literary value does not include the values
expressed or implied in a text but refers specifically to how one can attribute worth to
a text in terms of its value to ‘civilisation’, a culture, a society, or a particular group of
people. Each of these groups may attribute a different value to the text and use
different criteria to do so.
The basis upon which we make value judgements about texts and how we can make
these judgements comes from an understanding that texts may be valued for
different reasons: their aesthetic value; the significance of their message; their
historical value.
‘Literary value’ is traditionally seen to reside in texts that have the function of
reflecting or shaping society, are ‘elevating’ or ‘civilising’ in their promotion of
aesthetic and moral values and that different ways of valuing texts reflect and
imply different ways of reading.
The literary value of a text is apparent because:

 the text enjoyable to read

 the characters are convincing, complex and memorable
 language use both rich and imaginative
 the text is universal in scope yet there is more than one layer of significance
 the setting encompassing an expressive function examining societal issues
and values
 by its close, the text puts the world into some kind of perspective
 the text warrants revisiting over time
Modern critical approaches suggest text are polysemic (multi-meaninged) and can
be read in more than one way.
"Texts often lend themselves to multiple readings. This can produce different
readings or interpretations that support different beliefs and values."

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1. Literary terms and concepts
This means things like character, setting and themes - what the terms mean and
how these aspects function in a text. It can also include knowledge of historical
'periods' and basic forms and styles of writing.
2. Knowledge about the Text and its Background
This means knowing when and where the text was published, who wrote it and how
it has been received by readers and interpreted by critics.
3. Knowledge of the text as a Written Document
This means having a detailed knowledge of the text's structure, language, value and
so on. This type of knowledge comes from detailed reading and close study of the
text as a written document.

Questions about different ways of reading texts often ask you to explain how you
have constructed your readings. So you need to be able to articulate how elements
such as setting, point of view, language and dramatic features, the construction of
character (think 5 act structure, Tragedy, dramatic monologue, aside, soliloquy,
character values and themes) can shape meaning.