Literature as Social Commentary
-As Presented by ENGLISH 200 in Our Final Presentation
“The duty of literature is to note what counts, and to light up what is suited to the light. If it ceases to choose and to love, it becomes like a woman who gives herself without preference” - Anatole
Literature as social commentary is probably the most valuable and important possession of humanity. It is the primary channel through which civilization may move forward because it forces us to take a closer look at our lives and realities in order for us to see our flaws. When a writer or a poet decides to put pen to paper, it is usually to express their feelings about an aspect of their lives that has affected them deeply. Often, this becomes a form of social commentary, where the author’s work highlights certain aspects of human life that need to be addressed. These issues that are highlighted through literature-poetry, fiction, and other forms of the written word- are those that are causing a great deal of damage in society. These include racism, gender discrimination, stratification, inequality and a long list of others. When we selected the two works for our presentation- Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible- we wanted to focus on the importance of these two books as examples of relevant and important social commentary. The main issues that we wished to highlight were racial inequality and the evils of ‘witch-hunts’.
First of all, it might be useful to understand what social commentary is, what it represents and why it is important. As mentioned earlier, social commentary is the highlighting of certain aspects of human life and interactions to draw attention and concern towards issues that need to be addressed. Literature that functions as social commentary, according to The Bellwether Prize for Fiction, is work that “may describe categorical human transgressions in a way that compels readers to examine their own prejudices” (1). This is usually done in order to bring about, or invoke the need for, economic and social justice for particular ethnic groups such as racial minorities. Social commentary also includes works that explore study, analyze, and criticize social change, both positive and negative. However it is important to understand that not all works that cry out against injustice or detail the predicament of suffering individuals can be considered social commentary. In order for a work to be considered as such, the author must display a clear position of social analysis (Bellwether 1). In other words, there must be an amount of ‘social responsibility’ shown. Social responsibility is the moral obligation of individuals to engage with their communities in ways that promote a more respectful coexistence. Throughout the history of literature, the best writers are often those who had experienced the terrible inequalities and injustices in their communities and chose to express their opinions about it by calling out for change that will serve towards the betterment of society as a whole. Early authors such as Anne Bradstreet strived against the oppression of women, while others such as Mark Twain, Harper Lee and W.E.B Dubois fought against racial inequality in American society.
Now that the importance of social commentary has been established, a closer look can be given to the two books that were chosen for the presentation. The first book is To Kill a Mockingbird. The issue of concern is racism, racial inequality and double standards in the American societies of the South. Harper Lee chose to portray the condition of the blacks during the period when slavery was still being practiced. This was a period when the black community was stratified to the lowest social rank, even lower than the most downtrodden whites. As a result of their isolation and sub-human treatment, they became the scapegoats for all the mishaps and troubles in the society. Due to the superior statuses of the whites, the black community had very little avenues in which to seek justice and fair representation. Society had become so stratified racially that it developed a highly discriminatory and racist double standard. The trial of Tom Robinson is the perfect example of the practice of this double standard. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the predominantly white jury declared Tom Robinson, a black man, guilty of raping a white girl. The conviction was made based on the contradictory testimonies of the supposed ‘victim’ and her father, who was notorious for his own bad habits and violent behavior. Their word was given greater value than that of the defendant, simply because they were white. Atticus Finch, in his closing speech, openly states the situation;
“The witnesses for the state… have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption- the evil assumption- that ALL Negroes lie, that ALL Negroes are basically immoral beings, that ALL Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…” (Lee 225)
This is a very base but highly accurate portrayal of the harsh reality of racism in that particular society. Harper Lee’s intention is clear-cut; she wants readers to see and understand the plight of the black community due to oppression by the whites and she is screaming out for change and justice.
Ezra Pound, author of ABC of Reading, once said that literature is news that stays news. In this sense, the second book selected for the presentation, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, is the epitome of perpetual social relevance. Even though it is set in the Puritanical times of 17th century
“In the countries of the Communist ideology, all resistance of any import is linked to the totally malign capitalist succubi, and in
The parallels that Miller himself draws represent a form of social commentary, without the use of subtle language or indirect hints. His own personal experience with McCarthyism provides him with the earlier mentioned position of social analysis, which also forms the foundation of his social responsibility. The particular scene that we chose to portray from this play is the fourth Act where John Proctor is eventually led to be hanged. This scene is particularly poignant because it shows how the abuse of authority ruins the lives of innocent people.
As a conclusion to this write up, it might be useful to re-emphasize the huge importance of literature as social commentary. It is with this method that concerned individuals strive to invoke social justice for those who are oppressed or suffering. The reason for this is because they themselves may have seen, felt, observed and experienced those hardships. It is through their works that we, as readers, are compelled to recognize and do something about our own flaws and prejudices, and, ultimately, become better human beings.
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say” -Italo Calvino, The Literature Machine
References
QuoteGarden Quotations about Literature http://www.quotegarden.com/literature.html
Defining a literature of social change The Bellwether Prize for Fiction http://www.bellwetherprize.org/default.htm
