ciety.” [2018] ✪✪✪ Or, Justify the title of the essay “Literature and Society.” [2015]
Frank Raymond Leavis CH (1895-1978) is one of the greatest English critics of the twentieth century. He believed that literature and society are deeply connected. His essay “Literature and Society” (1937) shows how great art grows from the union of individual talent and social culture. The title itself reflects this relationship. Justifying the validity of naming a literary work means finding the similarity between its title and its content. Let us do this.
Connection between Literature and Society: Leavis clearly states that literature and society depend on each other. A good writer must be aware of the culture, tradition, and moral spirit of his time. He said,
“It is only in individuals that society lives.”
This means that every work of literature expresses both personal feelings and social experience. Literature reflects human values, beliefs, and emotions that belong to a living community. The title is justified because it highlights the interdependence between art and social life.
Influence of Eliot’s Idea of Tradition: Leavis’s thought was deeply influenced by T.S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent.” Eliot said that the writer’s work must be part of the “mind of Europe.” Leavis agreed and wrote,
“The individual writer is to be aware that his work is of the literature to which it belongs.”
For him, “mind” in Eliot’s essay is equal to “society.” The title “Literature and Society” thus suggests that true art grows from the social heritage of mankind.
Balance between the Individual and the Social: Leavis believed that literature must strike a balance between the personal and the collective spirit. He said,
“Without the individual talent there is no creation.”
However, he also cautioned against making art too private or too public. The Augustans made literature overly social, and the Romantics made it purely individual. Both failed to achieve balance. Leavis wanted literature that joined personal imagination with cultural depth. The title “Literature and Society” perfectly reflects this harmony.
Examples from English Literary Periods: Leavis proved his argument by studying different writers. The Augustans, like Pope and Addison, stressed social manners but killed originality. Blake and Wordsworth, on the other hand, went to the opposite extreme. They created poetry that focused solely on personal emotions and lost its social meaning. But Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” succeeded because,
“A humane masterpiece resulted because he belonged to the civilization of his time.”
These examples demonstrate that the best literature emerges from a combination of societal influences and individual creativity.
Meaning of Society in the Title: In Leavis’s essay, the word “society” includes both the individual and the community. He asks,
“What is the best conceivable public?”
This question shows his belief that art must speak to a living audience with shared culture and values. A healthy society supports its artists, and good literature, in turn, enriches that society. Thus, the word “society” in the title does not mean only social institutions but the entire human culture that nourishes literature.
In summary, the title “Literature and Society” is perfectly suitable because it captures the essay’s central idea. The central idea is that true art comes from the living connection between the writer and the community. Leavis teaches that literature must include both individual genius and social culture. It should express the moral, emotional, and intellectual spirit of its time. The title rightly shows that literature and society are two sides of one reality, each giving life and meaning to the other.
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