Answer to Question #232949 in Philosophy for Larkin

Question

How geographic, linguistic and ethnic dimension affect literary works?

Answer 1

The geographic dimensions give the literary work its setting in terms of place. It shapes the local setting of the work of art thus influencing the choice of words and the characters used in the literary work. It is the geographic dimension that might shape literary devices such as imagery used in the literary work through the description of the place. For instance, in the novel "The heart of darkness" by Joseph Conrad, the geographic dimension of the Congo River drainage system in the African rain forest help the novel to create imagery in the mind of the reader contributing to the overall message of the novel.

The linguistic dimension affect the meaning of the literary since it shapes how the message will be delivered. Linguistic dimensions focus on language. Language is the vehicle through which a message in a work of art is transported. Furthermore, the choice of language will further influence the stylistic devices used in a particular work of art. Language choice will also determine the scope of the audience that will be reached by the literary work.For instance, when the novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o shifted from writing in English to his local dialect Gikuyu, his scope of audience was reduced. However, the message of his literary work became more appealing to the African audience since it resonated with then more than when it was being done in English.

The ethnic dimension also shapes the meaning of the literary work. The ethnicity of a people is what identifies their culture, traditions and believes. People's ethnicity reflects to a larger extend their way of life. Literary work therefore relates to ethnicity since literary work reflects the social realities.It is the mirror through which people way of life can be seen