How do writings stand the test of time? Essay

What people write and read depends upon what they are thinking and what they are doing. The literature of the period reflects varieties of interests. One of the offices of literature is to take the reader away from the duties that fill the day. But great literature does more than this: great literature enlarges the reader’s world. The short story must always be literary entertainment: it must be always interesting, attention-compelling, and diverting (Perez 13). But real value of short story lies in its significant statement or question about human beings, the world they live in, the rules and custom that govern their actions. Most of the great short stories of the twentieth century fall outside the category of escape literature. There are stories which studies in personality and character, pictures of diverse social conditions, considerations of the validity of social institutions, and presentation of moral problems – all against a background of ordinary events (Perez 18). This paper takes off from the idea of famous critic Samuel Johnson, that literature can only endure the test of time – if and only if it show and deal with situations and characters that are identifiable, which is somehow a part of us, that individuals to individuals commonly share across boundaries of time and place. This essay will therefore examine the particular works of Washington Irving (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow), O. Henry also known as William Henry Porter (The Third Ingredient) and Edgard Allan Poe (The Cask of Amontillado). To juxtapose the significance of these three essays in literature, all three short essays will be explore from the premise of literary critic Samuel Johnson; its quality to be regard as ‘just representation of general nature vis-a-vis least representation of commonly experience. Washington Irving’s stands out as one of the very first American storytellers and humorists. Customs, manners, traditions and legends are the materials of his works. Washington Irving wrote about people. His famous work such as ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ will carry the reader back where there is no great bridges which spanned the Hudson River, no highways followed the contours of its majestic curves, and no steamboats plied up and down its broad waters. â€Å"From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HALLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout the neighboring country (Delgado 12). † Irving introduce the reader to the early Dutch settlers on the banks of the Hudson, immediate descendants of the people who built the first homes, the first villages, who established the first churches and the first schools, in short, the people who began the transformation of a wilderness into the settled and civilized country we know today. â€Å"His schoolhouse was a low building of one large room, rudely constructed of logs: the windows partly glazed, and partly patched with leaves of old copybooks (Delgado 14). † Much of that Irving has written about early life on the Hudson is true: the social life of the wealthy Dutch farmer, the role of the schoolmaster as teacher and local sage, life in the schoolroom – these can be verified by research. Thus Irving’s main interest was not in an accurate representations of the society of time does not detract from the charm and value of his work for modern readers. He represents a halfway point between writers who strove to beguile their American readers with elegant stories laid in Europe and later writers who found in the American scene and the common people of America sufficient beauty and strength for literary material. However, Irving had not entirely escaped from the traditional romanticism of his day is shown by his decorative treatment of Dutch village life on Hudson and his inclusion of the legend of the Headless Horseman. â€Å"Such general purport of this legendary superstition, which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region of shadows; and the specter is known, at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow (Delgado 13). † On the one hand, ‘The Third Ingredient’ written by O. Henry, who was also one of the most admired short story writers for years and his pattern for short story was imitated by many other writers. Most of his short story is about ordinary American characters doing things that are typical of our ways of life. â€Å"At six o’clock one afternoon Hetty Pepper came back to her third-floor rear $3. 50 room in the Vallambrosa with her nose and chin more sharply pointed that usual. To be discharged from the department store where you have been working four years, and with only fifteen cents in your purse, does have a tendency to make your features appear more finely chiseled (Ramon 46)† The story reveals how a typical individual spends his/her day. It is so cliche that every individual can somehow relate to the story. The pattern of O. Henry story is this: background, characters, time, place and tone – is deftly and vividly sketched. And event occurs that creates a problem. The action that arises from the problem and the background is built up to the climax. The story is concluded with a twist and snaps that is often a surprise – but never a surprise that has not been carefully prepared for in the story. â€Å"After he had tapped at the door and entered. Hetty begun to peel and wash the onion at the sink. She gave a gray look at the gray roofs outside and the smile on her face vanished by little jerks and twitches (Ramon 53). † Edgard Allan Poe is famous for his impressionistic stories of terror and horror. He once said that the end of the story must be in the writer’s mind at the very beginning and that the first paragraph, the first sentence, must be a part of the preparation for the culmination. His impressionistic stories are famous for their predominant mood of terror and horror. â€Å"At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely settled – but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity (Perez 102). † He wrote horror stories and created the detective story. He is not concerned with moral lesson – the horror stories which he created. Poe created a single effect, of terror or horror; while in his detective stories he presents cold and scientific solutions of crimes, not moral judgment on the criminals. Poe believed that there are three essentials for good short story. First: the story should be short enough to be read at one sitting. Next: plot, characters and setting should contribute to a single impression, oneness of effect. Third: nothing should be included which is not positive value in creating the oneness of effect. When you read the stories that follow notice that only those details which are important to the creating of the single effect are presented. â€Å"A succession of loud and shell screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated – I trembled. Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid of the catacombs and felt satisfied. I re-approached the wall. I replied to the yells of him who clamored. I reechoed – I aided – I surpassed them in volume and in strength. I did this, and the clamorer grew still (Perez 104). † I believe that Poe is an effective writer and poet nonetheless, his impressionistic style can somehow affect the quality of the story to be considered as ‘just representation of general nature. ’ However, the typicality of his short story ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ does not necessarily mean it is less effective – the tale conforms to the laws of the three unities: unities of time, place and interest. The story needed a short time to complete the action of the story. And also the way every detail and every word contributed to its general effect. Reference Cited Delgado, Frank. Literature for Philippine High School. Philippines: Punlad Publishing House, 1989. Perez, Salvacion. Literature a Series of Anthologies. Philippines: St. Scholastica, 1995. Ramon, Antonio. Heritage of World Literature. Philippines: Punlad Publishing House, 1992.