Essay Sample on Literature: Mirror of Society & Culture, Uniting Classical & Contemporary

Introduction

Any literature works always have a clear reflection of the source of society and culture. Its core role in society is to emancipate and take corrective measures reflecting on the problems that they are facing. It is also an agent of good deeds as it spearheads the best outcome for the society other than just wrongdoings. Classical and contemporary pieces of literature serve as interlocked subjects where one shapes as another borrow from the other. Most of the themes that were presented in the early literary works still feature in today's life. Any literature work is written based on a particular issue, which reflects on the actions of society. Writers sometimes create one or similar thematic concern, primarily when the problem affect the community more broadly. Others write differently, but all are mirroring society. That makes the subject of this essay under the case study of three texts; Antigone, the Native Guard, and Half of a Yellow Sun.

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Different authors write the three texts, but all entail specific similar themes. Such themes are touching on the same subject from a different time and a diverse background. The issue of racism has been all through these three texts. In Chimamanda's Half of a Yellow Sun, racism is one of the significant incidents seen. The race factor here creates a distinction between the blacks and the whites. The whites are busy building a difference in color, where whites are privileged as blacks are tarnished due to their darkness.

In the first chapter, Odenibo complains a lot about how the whites have stereotypically grouped them as blacks other than the fair treatment of human beings. The native Guard also depicts this move through the latter who had was enslaved and could only his freedom when he engages in the civil war that was underway. This war was only for the slaves; their owners did not fight. Black against white race is still a factor here; thus, the reason why only blacks were recruited to such wars.

The theme of power and governance is also expressed ineptly in the three texts. Half of a Yellow Sun reflects the life of the Nigerians under the rule of their British colony. The colonial practices have shaped the leadership from the prime minister to training officers as their roles while the rest given to the blacks. Their form of law had to create ethnic discrepancies through their divide and rule policy (chapter 6). On the same note, Antigone expresses an oppressive ruling system to its subjects. The king of Thebes, Creon, imposes harsh rules over his subjects. Any criticism or an opposing character is denied that chance to get buried or any proper burial for the same upon their death. He uses Polyneices and Eteocles, who were sons to Oedipus. The two were celebrated in two perspectives. Polyneices was given to the birds to feed on while his brother was offered a proper send-off for disloyalty and loyalty, respectively.

Apart from the similarities, there is a considerable difference in these three texts. Half a Yellow Sun is talking about the British rule affecting Nigeria, yes they were oppressed, but they were fighting for their right. The persona, journalist, in the Native Guard is forced to fight for a white race that only benefits his owner. He is a slave with no freedom except when he earns from the war front. The kind of conflict that was excised by the king of Thebes was one that could be compared to the harsh life of the other texts. The king imposed a strict rule over his subject due to a single interest. To gain respect and to be the sole owner of the kingdom, as opposed to other texts that had some specified rules used just to control their subjects. The stereotypical cultural differences are only experienced in the Chimamanda's writing where Africans were segregating themselves as the British government could dictate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the three texts are representing the cross-cultural literature different and how they influenced the society then and now. Antigone represented the life of kingship, where the king was the overall sovereign ruler; one could go against him. Native Guard illustrates the slavery times when a black person was considered a machine. Half of a Yellow Sun depicts the life of the blacks under the rule of colonial rulers. Racism, power, and leadership are among the themes described in these texts.

Work Cited

Adichie, M. C. "Half of a Yellow Sun." The Washington Post Book World. 2006

Sophocles. "Antigone" 442 BC

Tretheway, N. "Native Guard." Mariner Books. 2006