Overview of Selected Writers from

World Literature
 Learning Objectives

▪ To be able to define what constitutes world

literature

▪ To become familiar with some of the works

of exemplary writers in world literature
Key Understanding
▪ Knowing what constitutes world literature, as
well as the exemplary works of writers in world
literature

Key Questions
▪ What constitutes world literature?
▪ Who are some of the exemplary writers of
world literature and what are some of their great
works?
What is World Literature?

World Literature refers to any written literary genre

that exemplifies the most outstanding characteristics
of particular national literatures. It is harder to
define and only few regional or national writers can
also be classified as belonging to world literature.
What is 21st Century World Literature?
21st Century World Literature refers to any written literary
genre that were written, printed and published from the start
of the new millennium.
• With the advanced technology of this new era, most of the
themes are oriented for the youth and young professional
audiences and thus the proliferation of vampires, sorcery,
space and science fiction.
• Blogging (Weblog) has been invented as an online/digital
form of journaling topics, events and experiences.
 Asian 21st Century World Literature
 Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) is a
doctor turned novelist who has
produced three best sellers in the past
decade: The Kite Runner (2003), A
Thousand Splendid Suns (2007), and And
the Mountains Echoed (2013). He is one
of the few millennial authors who still
continue to tackle universal themes as
his novels are set in war-torn
Image Credit: Afghanistan and depict war’s impact on
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/A_Thousand_Splendid_Suns.gif

families and society.

 Asian World Literature
Rabindranath Tagore (India)
was the first Asian to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature in
1913 for his book anthology of
more than a hundred Bengali
verses, the Gitanjali (Song
Offerings). It is incomparable
for the beauty of its imagery as
a form of devotion to God and
in appreciation for the wonders
of nature.
Image Credit: https://laxminarayanweb.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/gitanjali.jpg
 Mexican 21st Century World Literature

Laura Esquivel’s works for the

new millennium are Between Two
Fires (2000) and La Malinche
(2006). The former is an
anthology of essays on life, love
and food, while the latter is a
time travel adventure with La
Malinche travelling back in time
Image Credit: https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/7064322-M.jpg
to Hernan Cortez’ ancient
Mexico.
 Mexican World Literature
 Octavio Paz was a diplomat,
poet and writer who won the
Miguel de Cervantes Prize (1980)
and the Nobel Prize (1990) for
literary excellence. His poem
Piedra del Sol (Sunstone) is cited by
critics for its unique surrealist
style, while his anthology of
essays The Labyrinth of Solitude is
noteworthy for its profound and
Image Credit: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388265409l/11702.jpg deep analysis of Mexican society.
 American 21st Century World Literature
Kate DeCamillo’s (USA) 2006
young adult novel The Miraculous
Journey of Edward Tulane won the
Boston Globe and the Parent’s
Choice Awards. It was catapulted
to fame anew after being featured
many times in the Koreanovela My
Love From Another Star most
especially this quote: "If you have no
Image Credit: http://i.gr-
intention of loving or being loved, then
the whole journey is pointless."
assets.com/images/S/photo.goodreads.com/books/1418778959i/2642151.
_UY200_.jpg
American World Literature
Ernest Hemingway was a
popular short story writer and
novelist who as a war journalist
wrote firsthand accounts of
both WW1 and WW2. Farewell
to Arms recounts the former,
while For Whom The Bell Tolls
depicts the latter. The Old Man
and the Sea won for him both the
Pulitzer (1953) and the Nobel
(1954) awards for literary
excellence.
 English World Literature
William Shakespeare
(England) was a poet and
playwright considered as “the
father of the modern English
language”. He is credited for
pioneering the couplet and the
Image Credit: https://covers.openlibrary.org/w/id/405165-M.jpg
Shakespearean sonnet style.
 Shakespeare and Modern Dramas
Today in any part of the globe, people are
addicted to English soap operas, Hispanic
telenovelas and Koreanovelas. But it can be
rightfully said that with his 37 plays tackling
any topic under the sun (the most popular
being Romeo and Juliet), Shakespeare invented
all of these modern dramas that entertain
TV and movie audiences nowadays.
 Literary Reflection
Shakespeare, in his stage play As You Like It,
popularized these verses: “All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players; They have
their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time
plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.”
In a journal notebook, make an
interpretation of the possible meanings of the
verses.
 French World Literature
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
was an aristocrat, pilot, poet
and writer whose novella The
Little Prince is now a much
loved classic extolling the
virtues of love, inner beauty
and friendship. This novella is
the source of the famous
quote: "One sees clearly only with
the heart. What is essential is
Image Credit:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Littleprince.JPG

invisible to the eyes."

African World Literature
Nelson Mandela was
imprisoned for decades
during the apartheid (racial
segregation by classes). But
after his release, he became
the president of South Africa
from 1994 to 1999. All of his
struggles can be read in his
autobiography/memoir Long
Walk to Freedom.
 Russian World Literature
Anton Chekhov was a
Russian physician, playwright
and writer who according to
experts is one of the greatest
in the short story genre. Two
of his last works were The
Cherry Orchard, which tackles
social change, and A Marriage
Proposal, which explores
Image Credit: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334702425l/5693.jpg
courtship and marriage both
with a touch of humor and
comedy that amuses audiences.
 Elements of World Literature
• Tackles universal theme to which wider
audiences/readers can relate or identify with
▪ love and romance
▪ family and marriages
▪ individual struggles toward success (Cinderella and
underdog stories)
▪ humanitarian values
▪ coping with tragedy (wars, famine, disasters, etc.)
▪ life cycles
 Culminating Activity

Choose one among the authors discussed in

this presentation and make a critique about
any of their works. How was the universal
theme portrayed in your chosen work? Also
comment on the style, characterization,
setting and story elements ‒ plot, climax,
tension, denouement.