Relation Between Literature & History
The relationship between literature and history is as old as the written word. Early writings influenced the formation of society and how people viewed their communities, if not their very reality. Literature continues to reflect history, as history looks in the mirror that works of literature provide.
Other People Are Reading
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Literature Can Be an Impetus for Social Change
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During the Harlem Renaissance, the works of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen gave African-American people a voice. The works of Gertrude Stein and Willa Cather, among others, eliminated some of the gender stereotypes that were prevalent at the time. John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald were among the authors whose writings pointed out the wide gulf between society's haves and have-nots. Today, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech continues to inspire many.
Literature Responds to Historical Events
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Literature often responds to historical events, and not always in an overt way. Read a work of literature, and you might get an idea as to how the author or those in his community responded to historical events. In his book "Of Creon and Captain Vere," author Robert Cover argues that Herman Melville's "Billy Budd" might be an "allegory for how Melville's father-in-law, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, interpreted the Fugitive Slave Act," according to professor of law Daniel Solove.
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Literature and Law
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Literature has been used as a basis for laws. Entire legal systems have been based on the Bible and the Koran, for example. Works of literature may be taught in law schools -- "Antigone," "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Trial" are examples. Many works also examine existing laws and highlight disturbing societal trends toward authoritarianism and other undesirable political states, as George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm" did.
Literature Provides a Timeline of History
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Read Shakespeare's works and you'll get a feel for the important political issues of the day, as well as what people found amusing at that point in history. The poets of antiquity wrote about subjects that are startlingly familiar today -- shedding light on the similarities between ancient history and our own. Of the more than 600 characters in "War and Peace," a great many are historical figures of the time. Literature provides the opportunity to learn about history in a way that is approachable and accessible.
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References
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