The Meaning of ‘Timeless Literature’: Genre-Specific or Universal?

As I have comprehended from my research on the term ‘literature’ through the Oxford English Dictionary, when considering the 1600’s, we often find meanings of it to be related to the concept of literature in general, that is, any piece of work, that contained concepts of what constitutes as literature, only those were considered as “literature” or literary works. Further, as we head into the 1700’s, we find the works that were concerned about talking about other significant works of literature, criticisms, appreciations etc. considered as “literature”. In the 1800’s began the connection of literature with fiction, that is stories, books, fables etc.

However, if we talk about the real meaning of literature, I think that was truly established in the 1900’s period, where we abandoned previously established literary traditions and values and considered literature not just as formal works but rather pieces of content that were finely crafted, complex, addressed humanity in general and not political or racial or other cultural issues.

Although unfair experiences are important to be shared, and they are also important to instil motivation in others but to write about these experiences and these injustices is one thing and to write about these experiences in a broader sense, where each and every person can understand the depth, the darkness and the true essence of what these experiences make a person feel and how strong it is to be able to get through them, to write about themes of endurance, resilience and wars and bloodshed in a timeless manner that cannot be reduced to only one person’s fight but rather of every member of humankind, that is what I believe constitutes literature.

Around the 1900’s, many minority communities came into the world of literature but weren’t given as much importance, but is that truly because of prejudice or simply because these texts didn’t instil appreciation in others and only talked about certain particular subjects that might or might not be addressing the core of humanity’s hearts and minds?

This is not to say that these miniority communities did not gain recognition when it was deserved, many women authors like Charlotte Brontë, Toni Morrison, Virginia Woolf and many African American writers like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Booker T. Washington and others were given their due credits, as they rightfully earned, and these were authors that treated literature as more than just a place to put their experiences but also to further inspire others to go after their dreams and not let their bad experiences define them and this change in the values and qualities of what defined literature has became a crucial foundation of what we consider literary works in the modern world of today.

When we read Shakespeare, it is not that we are reading texts of a certain man of a certain culture or religion, we are reading his plays and considering his storylines from a very broad perspective, that makes us go beyond our daily routines and takes us into a world that is the thin line between life and death itself. We do not consider the author, although literary critics might argue otherwise and might try to pinpoint certain aspects that could be controversial in his plays, I believe the essence of Shakespeare as a master literary model is not because of who he was or what his characters appeared to be like but rather because of the universal themes of humanity, the selfishness of humans, their ambitions, their passions, their obsessiveness and their desperate urge to love and to destruct, that make his plays uniquely stand out in the world of literature.

These are themes that take us beyond the normal hustle and bustle of work and life and take us into a world of our imagination, where we find the foundation of our souls and think about what morals we wish to have as a person, and not just to blindly abide by authority and its rules and rather craft ourselves by our own desires, and wants in a morally correct manner and this is, I believe, the core of what constitutes as the essence of literary works in the modern world.

Further, another important literary work that is my personal favourite is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We can read many novels that talk about particular subjects like science, fantasy, nature, history etc. but it is only those texts which appeal to a part of our souls that doesn’t just simply seem interesting to us but one that changes and touches our hearts and our minds and takes us into a world where we leave our built-up reputations and are able to recognise ourselves as we are and not as others wish us to be. Such is the work by Brontë, that appeals to every person who has ever felt different in a world that is driven by cruelty and the pursuit of power, fame and wealth. Because of the main character, Jane's, independent nature and the novel's approach to class, sexuality, religion, and feminist ideology, many people believe that the book was ahead of its time and hence, a timeless masterpiece. It includes criticism of social standards, defying many stereotypes of the world, with a strong sense of Christian morality, making us go beyond our lifestyles and the rules of society and authority and reflect deeply on what is inside our souls and consider what we are truly passionate about and that is exactly what it means to consider a work that is a timeless literary sensation.

Literature isn’t just about writing a story that is unique and original, it is about using words in a way that doesn’t just contribute to the story, but to the overall themes that we are all curious about but never have the courage or the mind to contemplate on. It takes us beyond what we consider our “usual” mindset and makes us reflect on a greater perspective of life, of death, of who we should be, of who we want to be, and of what we wish to do and what we wish “not” to do. Literature’s essence lies not in its ability to keep us hooked but in its ability to make us think, to make us change and lastly, to make us improve as better people with kinder hearts and broader minds.