World Literature

The idea of world literature seems pretty obvious and self explanatory to many. They believe it is the study of literature from around the world. Yes, this is true, but that is not a complete explanation. World literature has arisen since WWII, before this all literature was western. Similarly to how history books have always been written by the “winners” the suppressed minority voices of a country and/or culture have been neglected in the study of literature. World literature today encompasses these left out voices and incorporates them into the already heard voices of the majority. World literature is also used to better understand the world around us. To know how and why people interact the way they do. It allows for a variety of cultures to be acknowledged and not just western cultures and ideologies. As Edward Said says, “...its goal [is] the unity of mankind…” (p.24) and this unity and understanding can only be done “…from the perspective of the whole of secular human history” (p.39). The minority is no longer neglected, but rather a crucial part to the puzzle of understanding human interactions.