Role of ‘Literature’ in Education

Literature is a way in which we can capture and interpret what has happened and is happening to us personally and to the world as a whole. An entire culture exists in the written word, documenting the collective thoughts of everyone who cared to share them with the world. Today we are living in a world without boundaries. Twenty first century is known as the knowledge Era. There is an urgent need to regain the lost glory of Indian Education by bringing about suitable reforms, thereby, contributing to transforming India. Literature serves as a way to enrich our minds, and presents a way to improve the world not only through the beauty of its presence but through the ideas and tangible possibilities it possesses. Education contributes significantly to the higher goals of world peace, universal brotherhood and universal welfare. Emerging contemporary issues related to environment, universal peace and international co-operation have created a need to develop new sets of knowledge and skills to handle them. Literature teaches us how to live. Literature has prompted political and social change in societies and continues to do so to this day. Literature mirrors the society and its mannerisms. Because of Charles Dickens you can experience the Hard Times of the Victorian England without going through a detailed historical study. A story can expose readers to different places, time periods, viewpoints and cultures. Readers can gain experiences through literature they would never have access to in ordinary life.