Interrelation between Literature and Society

Abstract

The history of literature dates back to the dawn of human civilization. The societies were formed by the human beings with objectives of fulfilling the human needs and aspirations. Setting aside which came first—the literature or society—the aim of the author is to depict the picture of literature in society and vice versa. Literature is the product of the society. Literature represents life and ‘life’ is a social reality. Literary artists are the members of the society with a specific social status. They address the people, who are also social beings. In the earlier society, it was unable to distinguish literature from devices like symbolism, rituals, traditions and conventions, which are social in their very nature. In the later days, the relationship between literature and society became more and more indirect. In modern times, the literary artist has cut off his ties with the class to which he actually belongs. The degree of integration of the artists into social process is very close in popular literature and very distant in free creative genius. Though the writers of modern times are isolated from society, some good writers have created their own public. The literary artist is not only influenced by society, but he also influences the society. Art not only reproduces life, but also shapes it. This Research paper is a humble attempt to concentrate on how both literature and society have remained inseparable from each other. It further reveals that literature cannot sustain without society, and likewise the society too cannot be unnoticed in literary pieces in one way or another.