Exploring the Significance of Literature: A Humanistic Perspective

This essay critically focuses on the functions of literature in understanding the complexities of human life and society, perceiving cultural values, and evoking aesthetic relish from a literary humanistic approach. It is an attempt to answer two questions: why we should read literature? What are the functions of literature? Basically, literature is a form of art that has multidimensional functions to portray human life and human experience with its artistic pattern and organization that affects the readers in a certain way not only to rethink and feel about others and themselves but also to establish and change their worldviews whether subjective or objective. Though literature offers an alternative world view, it is not limited to ideas or thoughts, as it can reflect on any subjects. The prime object of literature is to depict human life, to delight, and teach humankind through its artistic principles and aesthetic effects and universal appeal – the use of literary language and imagination and affected readers. Literature has humanistic, aesthetic, and psychological roles in the presentation of human nature, wisdom, humanity, morality, resilience, aesthetic pleasure, inner consciousness, and self-restraint. Finally, the value of literature is immense as it a site from where one can write for the change of a dominant ideology by providing an alternative one and enrich himself or herself with wisdom, self-esteem, and inner consciousness.