Note: Now that the essay competition is over, I can post this here. Would love some feedback.


OUTLINE
Thesis statement:
Do we really need literature? Well maybe not as essentially as air, water, and food. Those give us sustenance but in order to thrive, even the oldest cavemen recognized that we needed something more- something to while away the long, cold winter evenings and to help us forget the dreariness of our measly existence, something to entertain and to inspire, to help explain the unexplainable, and something to leave behind oneself when one has ‘shuffled off this mortal coil’.

I. Introduction
II. What is literature?
III. Do we really need literature?

A. Literature as a “mirror”

1. We can recognize and better understand aspects of ourselves.
2. We can recognize aspects of our society and societies gone by.

B. Literature as a “time-machine” and “passport”

1. We can travel through time and observe life, sometimes firsthand, as those that came before us experienced it.
2. We can experience events, cultures and customs from other parts of the world- real and fictional.

C. Literature as a “window” and “lens”

1. We can look out and see the world as other people see it.
2. We can appreciate perspectives other than our own.

D. Literature as a “wise mentor”

1. We can learn tolerance, empathy, and acceptance by reading about other people’s perspectives.
2. We can squash prejudices and biases by reading literature from people outside the groups we belong to.

E. Literature as a “catalyst for change”

1. We can be shown the flaws and injustices in our current status quo.

F. Literature as a “custodian of values”

1. We can use literature as a socialization tool to pass on values from one generation to the next.

G. Literature as an “event simulator”

1. We can be forewarned about consequences through reading about the actions and decisions of others.

H. Literature as a “soothsayer” and “harbinger”

1. We can heed the warnings of the writers before our time that saw faults with our systems more clearly then we can see them today.

I. Literature as an “inspiration”

1. We can draw inspiration from literature for other art forms like film, music, and fashion.
2. We can be inspired by the imaginative thinking of writers to bring about real world innovation and advancements.

J. Literature as an “escape” and “entertainment”

1. We can lose ourselves in the comfort of a good read away from our own sometimes harrowing realities.
2. We can comfortably spend our free time enjoying books.

K. Literature as a “friend”

1. We can form communities of literature lovers online and in real life.
2. We can turn to our books as reliable and infallible friends.

IV. Conclusion





We narrated them around a family hearth before we chiseled them on to stone. The ink stained our fingers next; first reeds were dipped but soon the plumes of the quills tickled our chins before we moved on to more recognizable instruments. Guttenberg patented his wonder machine and we heard its manual clamp press down as a new era dawned. Rollers entered the ring and we marveled as they whooshed and chugged along in rooms with high ceilings with the smell of ink and the heat of the monsters at work hanging heavy in the air. The scene hasn’t changed much since.

Literature- all of it. Every word written and every syllable passed down, our collective memories and our wildest of imaginations. From times immemorial we’ve been telling stories- the real, the embellished, and the fantastical.
Do we really have any need of it? Well maybe not as essentially as air, water, and food. Those give us sustenance but in order to thrive, even the oldest cavemen recognized that we needed something more- something to while away the long, cold winter evenings and to help us forget the dreariness of our measly existence, something to entertain and to inspire, to help explain the unexplainable, and something to leave behind oneself when one has ‘shuffled off this mortal coil’.

Look back at the men and women of the city of Uruk as they whispered about their great King Gilgamesh. “He who surpassed all other Kings” had defeated monsters and overcome the wrath of the gods. He had returned to build the city which they now called their home and which was the biggest and most advanced of its time. These people were proud of their Great King but even they could never have guessed that the epic chiseled into the very foundation of the city would survive not only them but also the height and the fall of their civilization. They could not see that far ahead but as they discussed the impossible feats of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, they couldn’t help but recognize the familiar bonds of friendship, the willingness to go the ends of the Earth for your loved ones, and the sting of the inevitable fate of all earthly creatures. And so the mortals saw themselves in the two-thirds immortal King and loved him all the more for it.

Such is the soul of literature that it makes us feel less alone in the great vastness of existence. We see echoes of ourselves in the characters, haunting whispers of our own thoughts in the words. And in the greatest works of literature, we see ourselves reflected back, not through a grime-encrusted, shattered piece of glass, but in a still clear pool tucked away out of sight from judgmental eyes. For literature helps give clarity to our vaguest and most muddled of emotions. We find ourselves nodding along as Keats talks about the all-consuming nature of Love, we can recognize the pangs of betrayal and the drive for revenge so expertly mapped out by Dumas, Orwell captured the paranoia of constantly being watched, and Tolstoy perfectly emulates the internal strife caused by one’s own existential crisis. The best of writers are the ones that can eloquently voice what we had trouble putting into words. I believe Ralph Waldo Emerson put it best when he said, “In the minds of geniuses, we find – again – our own neglected thoughts.”

The more we read, the better we can understand our own selves and also the world around us. Literature plays the invaluable function of equipping one with tools needed to better understand one’s own society. We know how we have gotten to this point in our social evolution by reading fiction and non-fiction alike, and we can further understand what inherently holds us back and how best to evolve further by turning to literature as well.

If we look at Literature as a time machine, we hit upon another of its unique capabilities; it can take us back to any era and any civilization and we can take a stroll through the past safely without fear of altering any timelines or causing rips in the space-time continuum. We can raise a toast to a Tsar, hatch a conspiracy with Indian nobles and neighboring princes, shout in the crowd of the Coliseum as the gladiators fought for their freedom. We can march with Luther King, bow to Emperor Daigo, and wonder around Dickens’ London, Wharton’s New York, or Joyce’s Dublin all from the comfort of our homes.

It is interesting to gauge how people lived and what was important to them through reading the literature that they produced. Sometimes these can echo across space and time. The bustling mothers on the hunt for suitable matches for their daughters can still be sighted over 200 years on and continents away from where Jane Austen first caricatured them in her works.

We and our societies are reflected back in the books we read but we can also look at the world through the eyes of strangers. Literature lets us take a peek at what life is like for cultures and civilizations far removed from our own. We can experience life as a poor Spanish shepherd or as a bastard girl in Afghanistan. We can follow along several generations of Colombian family as they struggle with identity and their roots. Books act as an all access granted passport- letting us travel further and with far more depth than we could ever manage physically in our natural lifetimes.

And such experiences are not restricted to our real world. We can travel to galaxies far far away or live with people and cultures that exist nowhere but in the author’s imagination. There is no limit to where the miracle passport that is literature can take us if we but strap in for the ride.

On our literary travels we come across so many different perspectives- on life and love, on politics and philosophy. Literature helps us appreciate these different points of views. It makes us more tolerant and accepting because instead of living in our own bubble we can near literally walk in the others’ shoes. And here we hit upon another important purpose of literature; it acts as a mentor and is invaluable in shaping our personalities. Readers in general are more empathetic simply because they’ve lived through the lives of the characters. Good books will also teach us that the world is less starkly divided than what most forces would have us believe. There is less of black and white and more of a general grey area. All good guys are not paragons of virtue and the evil villains are not damned furies from hell.

We can overcome our prejudices and biases if we read enough of the right literature. When To Kill a Mockingbird was released in 1960, it was an instant hit. It gave people a raw personal story which they could empathize with. Harper Lee created relatable characters which helped highlight the real human cost of the charged political environment at the time. Readers learnt to look over the fence and realized that their preconceived notions on race and even the bias of the American North against the South were baseless and harmful. This wasn’t the first time nor was it the last that literature had such a profound effect on a generation’s thinking.

Expanding upon the previous example, Literature has also historically been a catalyst for change. Many books have been influential in causing political or societal progress. Lincoln met the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe and jokingly called her “the little lady who caused the civil war”. He was only half joking. Stowe’s book Uncle Tom’s Cabin was endorsed by the abolitionist movement and depicted the harsh realities of slavery. This deeply moving narrative of a long-suffering black slave was a rallying force to remind the North what they were fighting for. Literature hence is capable of influencing thoughts which in their turn influence actions and which ultimately lead to lasting change.

In contrast to the invaluable services rendered by literature that have been discussed in the previous couple of paragraphs, books also serve the important function of socialization. We pass on our values from one generation to the next so that our children don’t have to start from scratch. To this end literature is a powerful instrument. Many books catalogue society as it is and highlights values and practices that that specific society deems favorable. Some books are written with the specific purpose of educating the readers from a moral and behavioral standpoint. Readers pick up on these cues and learn to better navigate the maze of societal interactions thus making literature a custodian of values and norms.

One of the most commonly used phrases to goad lovers of literature is that “You are wasting your time buried behind a book, go out and live a little.” But books actually give us a wealth of experience. They can save both time and effort. We can age decades and see real time consequences of actions and decisions. In this regard, literature acts as a reality simulator and lets us live through thousands of lives so that we might be wiser in our own.

Literature has served as a harbinger of the world that awaits us if we are not careful. Reading Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell today feels oddly eerie. The fact that we can recognize our world in a fictional totalitarian regime bent on constant wars with other “super-states” and controlling what its members not only do but also “think” through invasive surveillance and propaganda is enough to send a shivers down one’s spine. This book written in the late 40s was meant as a warning to check the reach and power of the media and warn people against twisting facts and circulating ”fake news” to fit your own narratives. Somewhere along the way this timely cautionary tale has sadly become an ill fated roadmap.

Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Huxley’s Brave New World are other examples of literature trying to warn the world of not going down a self-destructive path. These writers and many more like them are not prophets; they can simply see our crumbling system for what it is and take guidance from the past to predict what would arise out of the chaos and anarchy.

Moving on to less depressing services of literature, we look towards art. Literature is art itself but is also a major influence on other art forms like film, fashion, and music. Books often spawn film and TV adaptations and sometimes these are more successful than the source material themselves! The 1972 adaptation of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Spielberg’s adaptation of Peter Benchley’s Jaws, and Hitchcook’s iconic take on Robert’s Bloch’s Psycho are all instances when the popularity and reach of the adaptation far outpaced that of its source -and that not a bad thing! Some things just translate better in other mediums. but despite it all, books serve as the basis on which these cinematic masterpieces laid their foundations.

Inspiration from literature also bleeds into real world inventions and innovations. Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and its famous submarine, the Nautilus, were direct inspirations for Simon Lake, the inventor of the Argonaut- the world’s first open-water submarine. Verne inspired another innovative mode of transport- the helicopter! Igor Sikorsky the Russian aviation pioneer grew up reading Verne and loved his books. Another writer who spawned many innovations was H. G. Wells. The mind behind the first liquid-fueled rocket- Robert H. Goddard, claimed that the concept of spaceflight “gripped his imagination” after reading Wells’ War of the Worlds.

Literature not only tickles our imagination but it also offers us a place to escape. We can lose ourselves in the comfort of a good read away from our own sometimes harrowing realities. The experience of being so engrossed in a book that you look up and hours have passed you by is one that can’t be easily put into words. This is the reason most people would give you on why we need literature; it is an escape.

It’s also one of the most accessible forms of entertainment. You can spend hours enjoying a good book and not be bored. Literature fosters community as well. Readers often seek people out to have discussions with. It’s a wonderful conversation starter and there are book clubs and communities online and in real life where readers can find comfort and like-minded people. Books themselves are our lifelong friends. We can turn to them and they will not judge and nor will they berate. They will remain stoic guardians of our memories and our hopes.

The writer of this, hopefully somewhat coherent, feverish hodgepodge of an essay owes so much of who they are as a person to people they have never met and probably never will meet in this lifetime. These people- to whom the writer is eternally indebted- are of different ages, different ethnicities, nationalities, religions, sexes, and political inclinations. Many have lived in different time periods to the one the writer finds themselves inhabiting, but they all have one thing in common; they wrote a book that the writer cared to read- no, let’s rephrase that; they toiled with blood as ink, used their souls as paper and in that glorious chaos the writer recognized a familiar echo. Armed with this personally irrefutable fact and in the company of writers and poets from across continents and centuries, the writer has a conclusive answer to the question posed in the title of this essay; literature is essential. Literature is necessary. We need it today, as we have always needed it and will probably continue to need it until Fenrir Wolf makes an appearance, in order to grow, in order to change, to understand, to empathize, and, most importantly, to be human.

I want to post my essay

Any one is willing to check my essay

Anyone can give me suggestions for further improvement in it

Anyone is here to guide senior member

Aishalam, did you win (or pass) the competition?

Coming to my views, your outline and its formation is really good. Presentation of ideas is what that caught my attention in the outline. But, there is something missing, i feel. I would highlight it.

The TS projects that literature is not so essential and its just secondary in life as method to forget life worries, enjoy the varying moments and so on... Or,
Considering first part of your TS, which argues that literature is not as essential as means of sustenance. Therefore, to me, you should have address that part and argued in the outline that 'why literature is not so essential?'
Or you could have omit that "not essential as food water part," because i feel it gives a sense of contradiction.
But, i liked the outline and its innovative one. Secondly, Your expression shows you read a lot of novels, fiction and literature.

P.S. The above comments are personal and they are open to disagreements. One may hold above views wrong. Its just a learner's opinion.

Anyways, i have also uploaded outline and introduction of a topic, do take a look.

Ma'am, suggestions for what? I can't see any Essay here posted by you.
Post your work and wait for reviews, kindly.
You can ask if you need help in uploading. But, i think you already know that.
And, this thread is active so just upload your work and members will take a look. Be patient!

I didn't even get to the shortlist stage which was a bummer but I had fun writing this all the same. They returned my essay with a score of 40/100 and their primary concern being that my Thesis Statement is not a statement. Fair point but most thesis statements are not statements. And a concern was raised that my essay was "too literary and philosophical" but I think that's the point. I'd rather stick with my writing style than conform to a tone dictated as the only "right" academic way of writing. If they had pointed out a structural error I would be glad to take it on board but c'est la vie.

As to your comments, I greatly appreciate them and fully see the point you are trying to make. I included the portion on Literature not being sustenance to acknowledge the counter-argument often made against this philosophical topic- that literature though essential isn't the most important thing. I wanted to acknowledge that basic necessities come first BUT you would exist without having really lived if you disregard the impact of Literature. That's why I used words like "thrive" and making our life here "worthwhile" in the second half of the TS. I agree that putting the basic necessities first puts an undue spotlight on them so the TS needs restructuring. I'm grateful for your comment and I'll definitely post my thoughts on your outline and introduction soon.

Dear dream, May be I am wrong, but you can check today’s dawn editorial, and how 'while' is used. What i understand is that while is used along with compound sentences separated by comma. Here are two sentences from today’s editorial about Floyd’s murder:
1.Narendra Modi and his Hindutva acolytes are a case in point, while even in our own country regressive forces lurk in the shadows, sabotaging efforts to create a more egalitarian society.
2. Donald Trump’s journey to power has been propelled partly by white nationalists, while in Europe, the ideological children of fascism today sit in parliaments in Germany, Austria and Hungary.
Well, for besides let me make myself clear.
Plus: i agree to your other views.

Sister, your essay was beyond my approach; a bit complex introduction and lengthy sentences. Well, it was fine, and a new type of outline technique. Good job. Who was conducting this competition?