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Literature's Role in Society

The document summarizes John Lester O. Sanchez's notes and reactions on two articles about the functions and relationship of literature to society: 1) On Dorothy Hall's "The Function of Literature", Sanchez notes that literature's true function is not to be driven by public demands or propaganda, but to lead the public to understand and experience the author's values through their masterpieces. 2) On Milton C. Albrecht's "The Relationship of Literature and Society", Sanchez observes that literature reflects different social institutions and considers society as an element in its creation, showing writers are specialists in values. Albrecht emphasizes literature's relationship to society through various influences, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on public perception

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Lester Sanchez
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177 views2 pages

Literature's Role in Society

The document summarizes John Lester O. Sanchez's notes and reactions on two articles about the functions and relationship of literature to society: 1) On Dorothy Hall's "The Function of Literature", Sanchez notes that literature's true function is not to be driven by public demands or propaganda, but to lead the public to understand and experience the author's values through their masterpieces. 2) On Milton C. Albrecht's "The Relationship of Literature and Society", Sanchez observes that literature reflects different social institutions and considers society as an element in its creation, showing writers are specialists in values. Albrecht emphasizes literature's relationship to society through various influences, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on public perception

Uploaded by

Lester Sanchez
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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JOHN LESTER O. SANCHEZ VIRGILIO C.

VENTURA
Student No.: C19-0095 Professor
Date: January 29, 2021

1. My notes and reactions on Dorothy Hall’s The Function of Literature:

As a reader, do we understand what literature is and its functions? Nowadays, when we read
imaginative writing, we expect some words to shed light on our problems and help us achieve a
good life, right? That is a great cause for every piece of literature, but they are not what
literature is about if we look closer. Literature is becoming structured now. As a result, literary
masterpieces' production becomes too restrictive, as if it is following a structure or meeting the
public's expectations based on what they need or demand. That is why Dorothy Hall here says,
"that the world seems so desperately to need of "saving." Also, “today's liberalism is in danger
of developing a dogma of its own.” meaning the sociology of literature compromises literature's
true public function.

According to Dorothy Hall, “the literature should lead, not be led.” In conclusion, literature's
function is not to be written based on what the public demands or should be driven from any
propaganda. Instead, it should lead the public to understand, envision, and experience the
author's values in his masterpiece.

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2. My notes and reactions on Milton C. Albrecht’s The Relationship of Literature and Society:

Literature reflects different institutions like economics, family, religion, and other
environmental and social life aspects. It shows that literature has a wide variety of subject
matter. Thus, it considers society as one of the elements in the creation of literature. It also
proves that writers are specialists in values because their works depict real-life experiences.

This article emphasizes what literature has to do with society by giving various examples such
as how the media, like movies, influences and shapes society. According to Milton C. Albrecht,
"The very persistence of the idea that movies or other forms of literature and art are socially
disruptive apparently indicates an enormous respect for the power of artistic media." He also
added, "Some of these so-called "influences," indeed, are mainly problems of cultural diffusion
as related to social change." I agree with what Albrecht said the influence of literature or motion
pictures might be beneficial or detrimental to a society based on how the public perceived the
author's literary piece.

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