Literature as a Source of Peace

ABSTRACT

Literature is the outcome of human mind which gives the reflection of contemporary society. An account of human development from the primitive age till the contemporary period shows that the biological man has proved his ability as a supreme creature by achieving several milestones in the field of science and technology. Human life in 21st century has become technically sound but emotionally poor. In this age of globalization, there is a race of proving supremacy among the nations in the world. In this race of supremacy the global scenario is totally changed. Human beings are living like a machine without emotions. There is an emotional vacuum among the people living in the same as well as under the same roof. As a result social harmony has come to an end and relations are fractured. In this age of materialism human identity has been lost and it is widely reflected in the contemporary literature. There is absence of peace in the global scenario. The reasons of discontent may be different but it affects peace of mind. There is a quest for peace. Several efforts are being made in this direction to establish peace in the world. The world community witnessed certain wars imposed by the super power for the establishment of peace in the world. Long ago emperor Ashoka realized that peace can never be established by fighting war therefore he repented after the victory in the battle of Kalinga and embraced Buddhism. Literature nourishes humanity and humanity brings harmony which results into the establishment of peace. Unless and until, there is a change in the psychology of the people, hatred among the societies would not be reduced and there would not be communal harmony. It is only literature that can bring this change among the people. In this paper an attempt has been made to focus on literature as a source of peace which is like an oasis in the desert.

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