Appreciating literature

Since the appointment of State Literary Panel with Prof. Kusuma Karunaratne tipped to be the chairperson, it is pertinent, of revisiting the subject of appreciating literature. I wish to deal with the issue from a broader perspective with a particular emphasis on the impact of literary appreciation on the public taste at large and on the quality and the content of the indigenous literary production in general.

One of the cardinal principles of literary appreciation is the language in which the literary production is made. From a broader perspective, what I meant by language is not merely the language in which the literary production is made such as Sinhalese, Tamil or English but the diction that is being employed in literary production. As a writer expresses his or her ideas, views, and other intentions through the medium of language, the diction should fulfill a number of requirements including the adherence to the standard idiom and contribution to the growth of the language.

In other words, a literary production should be in a language which, at least, should be comprehensible to the larger segments of the readership. It should also make a substantial contribution to the contemporary literature in terms of enriching the contemporary idiom, particularly by devising novel expressions. Writing in good Sinhalese language does not mean that one should write in either medieval Sinhalese classics or using idioms full of filth. In the case of English one may be influenced by Shakespearean language or the Standard English used by scholars and academics around the world.

In simple terms, it means that one should write within the basic rules of language irrespective of whether the literary production is in Sinhalese, English or Tamil. Understandably, a fundamental requirement in this regard is that the language, in which the literary production is made, should be grammatically correct. According to Sinhalese classical grammar such as Sidath Sangarawa it is evident that basic rules of grammar should be adhered to following the basic rules of the language.

Novel usages and enrichments of contemporary idiom should emerge within the parameters of fundamental tenets of grammar albeit writers are at liberty to amend rigid traffic rules of grammar following the current idioms.

For instance, some of Martin Wickremasinghe's literary productions contain grammatically incorrect in the strictest sense of Sinhalese grammar. However, Wickremasinghe has amended the traffic rules of grammar within the prosody of Sinhalese language in an ingenious manner following the idioms to serve the purpose. Martin Wickremasinghe could afford to amend some of the traffic rules of Sinhalese grammar partly due to his wider understanding of the Sinhalese classical literature and folk-idioms. It is obvious that a writer who can afford to bend the rules of grammar at his or her will is the one who is well versed in the classical literature and grammar. Therefore, one of the fundamental criteria of literary appreciation is to follow the basic rules of the language.

A 'refined usage of language' means that the language which is employed in the literary production, should, at least, be standard language albeit standards of language may vary from time to time and from region to region. It is obvious that uncouth language of a street urchin should not be the language of an award wining writer. However, in depicting diverse characters of equally diverse social status, the writer may mimic their language and usages in a judicious manner. Oneof the most recent example is Booker Prize winning author, Michael Ondaatje's 'Anil's Ghost' in which he uses Sri Lankan English to highlight and add value during conversations.

Abuse of language and wanton use of utter filth in literary production in the name of literature or using cover up jargons such as 'post-modernist writing', should not be encouraged and recognised. Such literary production of inferior quality should not be considered for national literary awards.

An important criterion of literary appreciation is the representation of contemporary attitude and the depiction of the milieu. One of the salient characteristics of a celebrated literary works or classical literary production is that they represent contemporary attitude and the milieu in which they were written. For instance, Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' is not only a saga of war but also a panoramic picture of thethen Russian society and the milieu. Another example from Russia is Boris Pasternak's classic 'Doctor Zhivago' in which a different and anti-socialist interpretation is provided through the life of the main protagonist Yuri Zhivago. Martin Wickremasinghe's works such as 'Gamperaliya',' Kaliyugaya' and 'Yuganthaya' are noted not only for the representation of contemporary attitude, and reflections of the then, prevailing society at large but also for capturing of socio-economic transformation that took place in that milieu.

The lasting value of a literary production, by and large, lies in its language, masterly portrayal of characters and well organised plots. Use of narrative techniques such as stream of consciousness, intertexuality and the general application of literary theory are some of the criteria of literary appreciation. While congratulating the newly appointed State Literary Panel, Montage wishes that the new panel would adopt criteria in the evaluation of literary productions for the annual State Literary Awards so that State Literary Awards will be a seal of integrity and quality leaving behind some of the nasty experiences we have witnessed in recent times.