Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL REVIEW
2.1 Literature and Society
The term ‘literature’ has been widely defined by many people and experts, but some of the definitions have one common sense, that is literature is a creative
work produced by imagination. Klarer 2004:1 says that in most cases, literature is refers to as the entirety of written expression, with the restriction that not every
document can be categorized as literature in the more exact sense of the word. The definition, therefore, usually include additional adjectives such as “aesthetic” or
“artistic” to distinguish literary work from texts of everyday use as telephone books, newspaper, legal documents, and scholarly writings. Literature is a creative
writing by an author with aesthetic values, which makes literature regarded as an art. Literature as a writing from differentiates it from the other art products, and its
aesthetic or artistic values make it different from other writings. The word ‘Literature’ is derives from Latin ‘littera’ that primarily refers to
the written or printed words Kasim, 2005:1. Literature refers to compositions that tell stories, dramatic situation, expresses emotions, an analysis, and advocates
ideas. So many definitions of literature; Literature is the art of written works.
Literally translated, the word means acquaintance with letters from Latin littera letter, and therefore the academic study of literature is known as Letters as in the
Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
phrase Arts and Letters. In Western culture, the most basic written literary types include fiction and nonfiction. www.wikipedia.com
Literature is the collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body
of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; as, the
literature of Biblical criticism; the literature of chemistry. www.dictionary.reference.com
Literature is the class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, in history, in diction from scientific treaties and
works, whichcontain positive knowledge. www.dictionary.references.combrowseliterature
Literature, a body of written works related by subject matter e.g. the
literature of computing, by language or place of origin e.g. Russian literature, or by prevailing cultural standards of merit. In this last sense, ‘literature’ is taken to
include oral, dramatic, and broadcast compositions that may not have been published in written form but which have been or deserve to be preserved. Since
the 19th century, the broader sense of literature as a totality of written or printed works has given way to more exclusive definitions based on criteria of
imaginative, creative, or artistic value, usually related to a works absence of factual or practical reference. Even more restrictive has been the academic
concentration upon poetry, drama, and fiction. www.answer.com Wellek 1963:94 in his book Theory of Literature, says that literature
‘represents’ ‘life’; and ‘life’ is, in large measure, a social reality, even though the
Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been objects of literary imitation. Based on the definition above, Literature has relation
with social reality or society. Literature and Society has close relation to each other because, the relation
between literature and society is usually discussed by starting with the phrase, derived from De Bonald, and that ‘literature is an expression of society’ Wellek,
1963:95. Some relations between Literature and Society are; literary works absolutely is the part of society and use language as the part of social institution,
literary works is for the reader as the members of society, and literary works is a picture of society.
A society, then, is a group of people with a shared and somewhat distinct culture, who live in a defined territory, feel some unity as a group, and see
themselves as distinct from other peoples. A society needs to be independent enough to avoid being swallowed up by other societies Persell, Caroline Hodger.
1987. The word society may also refer to an organized voluntary association of people for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other
purposes. The English word society emerged in the 15th century and is derives from the French société. The French word, in turn, had its origin in the
Latin societas, a friendly association with others, from socius meaning companion, associate, and comrade or business partner. The Latin word is
probably related to the verb sequi, to follow, and thus originally may have meant follower. www.wikipedia.com
A society is a body of humans generally seen as a community. On the other hand, group of humans or other organisms of a
Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
single species that is delineated by the bounds of cultural identity, social solidarity, functional interdependence, ore sociality.
Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture or institutions. Like other
groups, a society allows its individual members to achieve individual needs or wishes that they could not fulfill separately by themselves,
without the existence of the social group. Society, however, may be unique in that it is ontologically independent of, and irreducible to, the
qualities of its constituent individuals. As a reality sui generis, or of its own kind, it is emergently composed of social facts that often
hinder rather than help the pursuits of the subjects that form its physical and psychological underpinnings.
http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiSociety
A society, in short, is relative independent collection of people who share a common heritage and common ways of interacting.” Persell, Caroline Hodger.
1987
Literary Sociology
Literature and Sociology are two studies that are different from each other, but they have relation. Sociology derives from the Greek ‘ Socius’ society and
‘logos’ science which means the study of all the aspect of human and their relation in community Ratha, 2003:1. Literary Sociology is a branch of literary
study that examines the relationships between literary works and their social contexts, including patterns of literacy, kinds of audience, modes of publication
and dramatic presentation, and the social class positions of authors and readers. http:www.answers.comtopicsociology-of-literature
Lanson proposed the idea of literary sociology, a complex formulation of the relationship between social influences on an author, readers expectations,
and the text. For Lanson a text was neither a mere product of collective social forces nor an autonomous work by an autonomous genius, but something in
Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
between. The text was a composite work on which society exerted powerful and unseen forces but that could still escape those forces in order to present something
outside of them: perhaps a hope or fantasy of something better. http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiGustave_Lanson
Sociology is an objective and scientific studies about human in society; studies about social institution and social process. Same as sociology, Literature is
also studies about the relation between the human in society, the human’s effort for adapting with the society and change the institution Damono, 1979: 7-8. The
different between them is, Sociology deals with a scientific and objective analysis but Literature shows the ways of life of human among society, their feeling
through society with literary works. Literary sociology is a study of literary works by paying attention to the
social aspects Ratna, 2003:2. In literary sociology, there are three classifications about the scope.
First, the writer’s social context; this part talked about the writer’s social position in society and their relation to the readers. In this scope is also explained
about social factors that influence the writers like, the writer’s occupation, writer’s professionalism, and the readers of their works. Second, literature as the mirror of
society; how far the literary works describe the situation in society. Third, social function of literature which explain how far a literary works can be related to
social condition and how far literature values are influenced by social condition. Damono, 1979: 3-4
Shera Z. Hutabarat : The Interest Of English Students Of Faculty Of Letters, In The University Of Sumatera Utara In Reading Literary Works, 2009.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
