The Influences of Literature

Ryan Oliveira

Mr. Burnside

ENG 4U1

21 February 2016

The Influences of Literature

        When I look back, there are many examples of how I have been influenced, and literature has had one of the largest impacts on shaping my mentality. These influences have taken forms of novels and songs and have shaped who I am today. Through the works of writers, I have gained knowledge that has changed how I analyze media, tackle problems, and look at the world around me.

Music is all about self-expression. Listening to the lyrics of a song and applying the artist's message(s) to one's own life can result in a wonderful learning experience. John Lennon's song "Imagine" is a piece that has forever changed the way I perceive the world.  The song was written in 1971, during the Vietnam war, and is a political statement to encourage international peace. While listening to the song, the first thing that caught my attention was to imagine different scenarios, such as there being "no heaven", "no countries", and "no possessions". These three things have lead to war multiple times, but by putting our differences aside, people would be more friendly towards one another. By simply learning to see someone else's perspective and to realize that people are not so different from one another, it would not be hard to "Imagine all the people…Living life in peace." On a personal level, I have taken the lyrics of this song and have applied them to my everyday life. I now understand the importance of being reasonable and seeing things from someone else's perspective. This has resulted in me being involved in fewer conflicts and being able to work better with others. This song has instilled the importance of peace in me, and moving forward, I will always remember that peace is only possible when you are able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

        G.K. Chesterton states that “Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”  By this, he means that although literature is important, the concept of portraying one's ideas through a story is crucial for the reader to fully understand what the author has to say. I personally do not read many novels, but an interesting and fun storyline definitely helps in getting my attention. J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was one of those books that got me interested enough to read. There are many different themes embedded in the story of this book, but the idea that had the greatest impact on my mentality was the dangers of desire. From Dudley being a spoiled brat to the Mirror of Erised showing one's deepest desires, the novel is riddled with how one's desires can lead to their downfall. This view on desires and cravings has made me think more about material possessions and human greed. In modern society, we are obsessed with material things: from getting the best and newest phone to even distinguishing ourselves by which type of computer system we use (Mac person vs. Windows person). This book gave me a reason to take a step back and ask myself if I really needed these things. The answer was no. Through that, I have learned to not take what I have for granted. Moving into the future, I will be actively trying to better manage my money, thus leading to less unnecessary spending. However, although desire is generally regarded as a bad thing, the novel also touches on how desires can be good. Near the end of the novel, the Mirror of Erised helped Harry in defeating You-Know-Who by using his desire of obtaining the Philosopher's Stone for himself. When talking about desires, the first thing that comes to mind is generally greed or a negative craving. However, the desire (or motivation) to accomplish a task or reach a goal is very important to move forward in life. Without this factor pushing you forward,  it is very easy to give up. From working to become proficient at a skill to studying for tests or handing in essays on time, without a desire to learn or achieve a degree, the work would seem pointless and the student would probably give up. Although I have learned the importance of good desires, I still sometimes let other factors such as stress hold me back from reaching my full potential. Moving forward, I am actively trying to strengthen my desires to do well and keep negative influences from affecting me. Desires can both be very good and very bad, but knowing how to manage them is a very important skill that can prevent one's downfall and lead him/her to their fullest potential.