Grow with Literature: Gut, Grit, Glory and Grace with reference to Phaniyamma written by M K Indira in Kannada and translated into English by Tejaswini Niranjana as “The Young Widow”

Abstract

The aesthetic expression of a writer takes the reader to the places he wanders, people he meets, the emotions he shares, and the feeling he is evoked. The readers see a slice of the world with its myriad hues through the writings. The writings have a powerful impact on the minds of the readers; to learn and live his life better. Most importantly, literature is the mirror of life. It helps us to understand those things that are not easily understood and comprehended that includes pain, hatred, love, death, war, sacrifice, human nature, and more surprisingly truth. Furthermore, it helps us to understand the power of language. Literature is the mere imitation of life. You learn about culture, Society, and language period. It is just not a rich pool of information and knowledge but a source to life’s energy to absorb and grow. The stories in various forms of literary expression provide us the readers to understand that we are not the only souls who walk the path of pain, and penance. We learn that similar situations have happened in the past and we pick up the gems of wisdom in how they handled such difficult situation. We absorb joy, exhilarate mirth, love the passions, be inspired in their heroic deeds, soothed by words so found, admire nature so exquisitely painted, find synergy in the freedom movements and fight against people, forge tenacious bonds with vision and so much beyond our comprehension is what Literature offers mankind to integrate into his life to grow himself. Great literature transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote. “Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity” (Rebecca West), British author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. The victory of the human spirit in the face of challenges is a hugely popular theme in literature, film, and real life.