Understanding Literature: Functions, Genres, and Reader Engagement
Defining Literature: What Makes a Text Literary?
What defines literature? It is necessary to understand how one distinguishes a literary text from a non-literary one; in other words, what is *specifically* literary.
Roman Jakobson’s Functions of Communication
Roman Jakobson argues that in any act of communication, the sender produces a message with a particular intention, emphasizing various elements of the communication circuit. These functions include:
- Referential: The sender concentrates on the referent or subject of the message.
- Expressive: The sender intends to talk about themselves.
- Appealing (Conative): Occurs when the sender intends to draw the attention of the receptor.
- Metalinguistic: The sender focuses on the message’s code, ensuring both parties are speaking the same language.
- Phatic: The sender wants to verify that the communication channel is working properly.
- Poetic: The sender is focused on *how* the message is constructed and elaborated.
The Poetic Function in Literary Discourse
Among all functions of language, the poetic function is characteristic of literary discourse. What sets it apart from others is the particular construction and elaboration of the message itself.
Reality and Fiction in Literary Works
The purpose of literary texts is not to show the world as it is, but to represent, through words, a peculiar perception of the world. Possible worlds and fiction amount to an image of reality that, in a given historical time, is proposed to define ideals, rule out problems, or address moral decay, and which can be modified. Literature transforms reality and fictionalizes objects. The objects it refers to exist only within the text, and instead of real people, literature presents literary creations of fiction.
Understanding the Literary Canon
The literary canon is a set of patterns that change over time and place, determining which written works are considered artistic or significant. Those works not included in this canon are often referred to as *marginal literature*.
Literary Genres: Classifying Texts
The word “genre” in literature refers to a set of texts that share certain common features, differentiating them from others.
Aristotle stated that literature is imitation and that the distinction in genres is based on the modes of imitation. Based on this, it is possible to determine three primary genres: lyric, epic, and dramatic. The emergence of new genres is often related to the requirements of today’s readers, and this classification now includes the essay.
Key Literary Genres:
- Narrative Genre: Works in the narrative genre feature the presence of a narrator who recounts events that happen to characters in a more or less defined time and space.
- Lyrical Genre: Lyric poetry is characterized by the strong presence of the emotional function of language. Rhythm is an essential feature of the poem, alongside the connotative use of language.
- Dramatic Genre: Works in the dramatic genre are meant for stage representation. They develop a story through dialogue and the actions of the characters.
- Essay Genre: Essays present information, interpretation, or explanation about a subject for confirmation. Their primary purpose is to persuade the reader.
Why Read Literature? The Reader’s Role
“Why read literature?” is one of the questions people often ask. Mario Vargas Llosa answers this question by stating that literature is written and read because humans have lives that are not resigned to what they do not possess. The idea is that, through literature, the reader lives in an inaccessible reality.
The Active Role of the Reader
The reader is not seeking certainties; instead, they accept and forget everything outside the text, becoming part of the work. The reader is not only the addressee but also a protagonist, because they step out of themselves and their everyday world and are located in the place as a co-character. They act as they enter a world of ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings.