In this Essay, I would like to discuss how literature reflects people and the society they live in. It is interesting to observe that authors’ use of language, use of various symbols, ideology etc brings into light various aspects of the society at that point of time.
Let us start with John Updike – “The A&P.” Through this story, the author reflects on the structure of society, i.e. the morals, ideologies etc that existed. Through “Sammy,” the central character, the author is trying to show the kind of radical change that was happening in the society in the 60s. Sammy’s reaction to the store manager is not a hormonal reaction of a 19yr old boy; it is not an act of chivalry. It is Sammy’s way of showing that he is not like the rest of the “sheep” that come to A&P.
The author cleverly uses the term “sheep” for the people coming to the store. The Sheep is used as a symbol to show the submissive nature of the people, they were the kind who followed the structures that existed in the society; who never questioned the ideals and traditions that were handed over to them. Sammy, unlike them, represented the simmering outburst that was waiting to take place in the society at that time. Updike uses the character of the manager to reflect the narrow-minded attitude of this small New England town.
Let us take another book, which is William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” In this book the author uses various symbols to show the larger issues facing the south in the 20th century. For example, the house that Emily Rose lived in is described as “grand house set on what had been our most select street.” However, with the end of this character the house is also shown to have deteriorated with time. This gives us an insight into what was happening of the “Old South” during that period of time.
Emily’s madness is, in a way, the representation of the death and decay of the Old South. Emily’s stubbornness in accepting her father and her beau death is in way to show the resistance the south was putting against the cultural invasion from the north. Like Emily who lost, South America also lost everything after the civil war. The most shocking part is when the people in the town realize that Emily has killed her lover and has been sleeping with the dead body all these years. This, in a way, shows in a subtle manner, the limit that the southerners go to resist any kind of change.
In the book “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, the author uses language to portray the kind of people and economic situation that existed during the contemporary time. Bambra makes use of African American Vernacular Language (AAVL). This must have been the language she must have learned in 1940s and 1950s in New York City’s Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities. The use of this language lets in a sense of realism and humor to the central character Sylvia.
On page 428-429, one will find the words “purdee hot”, “punchin”, “So we heading down”, “cause”, and “I says.” Further, on page 432, the sentence reads, “But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin.” This type of language gives the reader a prompt clue as to the race and culture of the people in this story. It gives us insights into the economic inequality that existed in the 1960s. Sylvia’s reaction to Miss More, on realizing that she is poor, is a reflection of the black community during that time.
By giving these examples, I would like to conclude that the literature of a particular era or period reflects the society with which it is dealing. It could be just the language or symbols or a thought.