Culture: Definition Not Found

How do you define a word such as culture? How do you take a cloud and pin it down? It's very tricky. Culture is such a complicated thing to define yet, ironically, everyone can easily say something about. I, for instance, think of spaghetti dinner night with my grandparents when I hear the word culture. However, one of my close friends has said that she thinks of culture when she hears a christmas carol on the radio. So what is it? Is culture about spaghetti dinner, or christmas carols? Actually, it's both! That's very cliche, I know, but it's true none the less. Culture can be anything or everything that has to do with traditions and/or habits which are inherited by one's nationality, ethnicity, and family. In addition, culture can be developed through the interactions between other peoples and traditions. Understand that that's a very rough definition that could be interpreted in many different ways. But isn't that culture is? Something that is seen in many different ways by many different people. Culture is all around us: it's in our homes, in our schools, in our food, in our music, and even on our book shelves.

Native Son by Richard Wright

One novel in particular that shows the effects of culture is Native Son by Richard Wright. The protagonist, Bigger Thomas (a.k.a. the "native son"), is the ultimate product of his surroundings. Allow me to set the scene. The place is Chicago, the time is somewhere in the 1930s, and the situation is far from comfortable for Bigger Thomas. After growing up as a "black boy" (see other works by Richard Wright) in a racist community, he is suddenly given an opportunity in a world that seems to be without such hope. His employer is a wealthy white man who claims that the wishes to help Bigger. Of course, this is all too good to be true and Bigger ends up brutally killing his boss's daughter. Typical. The rest of the novel is split between one big chase scene and a whole lot of brooding over why and how Bigger could have done something so awful.

Chicago, 1930

Well, conveniently enough, the title of the novel is the biggest hint of them all. It suggests that Bigger is "native" to his environment. In other words, he is a product of his surroundings. Being brought up in a community that saw black men as being violent and sinister animals made him believe that he couldn't be anything but that. He had hopes of being more, sure, but they were dashed away by a society that lent him nothing to hold on to. Culture tends to be seen as having a very positive connotation, but it is such a large word that one must also consider the other side of the spectrum. 

What exactly is "a work of literary merit"?

We hear the phrase tossed around all the time: literary merit. Raise your hand if your teacher has ever said "you should start reading books of literary merit". Even though I can't see you, there's a good chance that your hand is raised high in the air right now. Okay, now put it down before people start to stare! It's funny how we sometimes say things and hear things and accept them without question. Sure, we've all heard people say "literary merit" before, but what does it really mean. Now, let's not open up another tab and google it or take out our Webster Dictionary. Where's the fun in that? Let's instead take an example of an acclaimed literary merit (such as The Great Gatsby) and identify features of it that could be considered of literary value.

Unless you've been living in a hole all your life, you've heard of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although I've known the story for quite some time now, I was just recently able to pick up the book and give it a whirl. This slim masterpiece has been labeled as work of literary merit since it's publication, so it seems best fit as a good example. If you have not yet read The Great Gatsby, I strongly urge you to give it a try.

What stands out most to me in Fitzgerald's novel is not just his story, but also the characters within his story. We all know people like Nick Caraway, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy. Although it appears unlikely, we all know someone with the undying hope of Jay Gatsby himself. Fitzgerald's characters all have the ability to relate to humanity. Through some readers eyes (including my own) they even symbolize attributes of humanity. Tom symbolizes ignorance and greed. Daisy symbolizes carelessness and materialism. Nick symbolizes helplessness and admiration. And, of course, Gatsby symbolizes hope above all things. This is what makes a literary masterpiece. Anyone, no matter their race, age, sex, or religion can relate to the story being told. In addition, Fitzgerald uses a language throughout the novel that is exemplary. He uses a profound vocabulary and imagery that drifts you along the story seamlessly. Naturally, this is also a contributing factor to its level of merit.

While this analysis may not seem as clean cut as one you might find on google, it should leave you with a good idea on what to think of next time you hear "literary merit".

The Greatest Power Known to Man

It's been said that the greatest gift ever given to man was fire. Fire gives us warmth, food, protection, and above all, light. Indeed, fire is pretty awesome. But I take on the challenge to disagree with the theory that fire is the be all end all of human power. In fact, I'm going to argue that the greatest power discovered by humans is one of a  much humbler nature than that of a sparkling flame, yet still shares many of its characteristics. This power, much like that to create fire, is in all of us. It lies in the quietest corners of our households, under beds, on shelves, and scattered across messy coffee tables. The secrets hidden through their pages wait patiently for you to one day pick them up and hear what they have to say. If you haven't already guessed, this ultimate power we all have as humans is the ability to read and write literature. Now I understand that doesn't sound as impressive as the ability to wield fire, but they're really not all that different in nature. Like fire, the messages books lend to us spread quickly through our society. They leave a lasting (one could say "burnt") impression in our minds. If one were to read and fully absorb every piece of literature ever created, they'd be the wisest man or woman of our time. So, I invite you to take this journey with me as I discover the tiny wisdoms scattered across the pages of our world's greatest literature.