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| Home > Contribution of literature > Contribution of English Literature
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| | Contribution of English Literature
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The Colonisation of India by the British was a turning point in its history and affected all aspects of life and literature.The Britishers worked towards spread of education and for the facilitation of their administration work they opened schools to teach English as well as Vernacular languages. This helped in spreading education far and wide, the printing press made books easily available and at little cost. This in turn made people read more learn more and be aware of the affairs of the world. Colonization also had a positive aspect, it exposed the Indians to western thought and culture and we were able to compare our beliefs in the light of this new found knowledge. This resulted in the reformist movement and empowerment of women. There were books written against the ills of society like child marriage, sati etc. Authors were also using the medium of literature to protest against the dictatorial attitude of the British. Bankim`s `Anandmath`, Tagore`s Ghare baire are a case in point.For the first time in Indian diaspora women were the protagonists and portrayed as strong characters rather than the shadow of their male copunterparts. Women writers like, Sarojini Naidu, Toru Dutt were being read and enjoyed. They presented their own perspective of life and their views on contemporary issues.
Post independence, Indian literature was more exposed to the western thought and philosophy. The Indian writers were noticed abroad, the speeches of Swami Vivekanand in America and Europe were running packed houses as the world was interested in our culture and beliefs which was a treasure house of wisdom. Tagore won the highest international award for literature- The Nobel Prize. India had surely arrived and taken the western world by storm. Our writers were composing ina foreign language and showed the world their prowess. However it was not just Indians taking their beliefs to the world it was also an influence of the west manifesting itself in our works. Writers were exploring with themes and forms of expression. The vernacular languages also saw a spurt of activity, there were translations of various well known literary works and even the writers were inspired to experiment with their themes and styles.
The contemporary writers are a mixed bag of talent, it is an era where they are expressing their feelings in every possible genre and in every language. Regional languages are equally popular and the literature is also appreciated and widely read. International recognition has come to many of our writers and awakened an interest in our culture. The contemporary writers may be writing in English but the backdrop of their works is Indian, some of the novels have freely used Indian words in their English composition. The effects of modernist concepts of theme of consciousness, structuralism and post structuralism has influenced our works and authors are now more inclined towards the mind of the individual and his problems as is the trend in world literature these days.
The contribution of literature to society is thus a subject of study. It is the true reflection of the society`s growth and development.Literature mirrors what it sees around itself and also judges the manners and morals of the society.There are various forms of literature and each with a specific purpose literary criticism is also a literary form while it criticizes it also highlights the scope for improvement. If literature contributes to a build a better society, society provides literature with the matter on which great compositions are rendered.
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