How the Classics Shape Us

classics incite an empathetic connection to the fictional world

Why do we cherish good books? Books we categorize as the classics, and nothing else compares to them.

In literary thought, classics have a way of in-sighting deep thinking, seeing the world through a clearer, more transparent lens, and discovering human nature.

Books like 1984 by George Orwell, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, these classic have much relevance today because of the indispensable truth concealed within their pages, brought to life by the characters within.

How about the African and Asian contributions to the literature classics genre? The African pre-colonial era is depicted in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, to the post-colonial The Devil's Cross by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. In Asian classics, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights by Richard Burton, among others.

Regardless of the geographical setting of these works, one thing is shared between them: the ability to create an empathetic connection to the fictional world and discover human truths within.

Reading has always been a fulfilling exercise. One of my fondest reading memories was in high school when there was a book everyone wanted to read and the creation of an almost endless cue of people lining up to read the book after the previous person. That created anticipation to get my hands on the novel and annoyance when snippets or spoilers of the plot were discussed.

Nevertheless, reading created an unusual bond with the characters and ignited my imagination to create a world far from reality. And that experience is something I crave when I pick a book to read, which is always an exhilarating and fun experience.

Classical works serve as a compilation of episodic experiences of individuals into a sense of cultural unity.

That's the same with films.

When we read a book or watch a movie, we have access to the characters' lives, which we don't have with people in real life. We are in their head, and we have access to their experiences, which impacts how we behave, act, and make decisions.

In our heads, we are the protagonist of our lives, and everyone else is a side character. We live our very own unique story every day.

I'm always reading something, and each time, I look for more interesting reads to add to my towering reading list🤭

Let me know some of your favourite classic literature or films in the comments below, and let's start a conversation.

♥ Things I found interesting

🔖I learnt a new word this week, 'sonder,' which is the profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers, has a complex life as one's own, which they live without personal awareness.

Example: She experienced sonder as she found a seat in the cramped bus, everyone busy on their smartphones, wearing different facial expressions

🎧I listened to the reading of a letter, All This I Did Without You, read by Tom Hiddleston. A letter from Gerald Durrell to his future wife, Lee McGeorge. Here is a transcribed version of the letter.