What the Term Literature Means to Me

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What the Term "Literature" Means to Me
In my view, literature is any written work that:
* Uses language creatively;
* Portrays what happens in society;
* Criticizes society's failures and,
* Expands language usage.
The creative use of language in literature is manifested in the way the author uses ordinary expressions to convey a deeper meaning than the literal sense of the words used. For instance, the use of metaphors to express an idea exemplifies creativity in literature since the expressions conveys meaning that is different from the literal interpretation of the words. For example, the expression "the Lion of Judah" is used in the Bible to refer to Jesus because He is believed to be the King of the Jewish people and heir to God's kingdom. The metaphor "Lion of Judah" portrays His position of authority. In the Quran (Surat al-Ankabut, 41), a spider that builds itself a house is also a metaphor, which portrays people who seek protection outside Allah's providence because nothing is more fragile/flimsier, and therefore unreliable, than a spider's house (web). In this regard, the Bible and the Quran qualify as literary works because of the way they use language creatively. The creative use of language expands the meaning of terms and their application.
Literature is also viewed as a mirror of society since it portrays what happens in the society. George Orwell's Animal Farm is a good example of a work of literature that portrays the existence of social classes in society. The pigs represent the elite class that dominates the other classes (workers). The sheep's inability to read shows how leaders exploit people's ignorance/illiteracy to gain and retain power. At the same time, Animal Farm is a satirical mockery of the hypocrisy of political leaders who uses their position to enrich themselves (e.g. through corruption and nepotism), instead of improving the lives of the common citizens who do a donkey's life to earn a living.
I consider literary works to be texts whose interpretation goes beyond understanding of the literal meaning of the words used. In interpretin...