Influence of Real Life on an Author’s Work

Introduction

Many pieces of art are presented with the intention of instructing, warning, or raising awareness of a specific topic among an audience. Therefore, it is the writer’s duty to skillfully construct situations that the audience can easily relate to in their everyday lives. In most instances, the author uses the particular problems in his environment to create a compelling story that can effectively convey the author’s intended message to the reader. Through this, it is evident that authors can use literature as a mirror to pinpoint the specific issues which affect the society and how such vices can be eliminated in the long run. Therefore, this essay seeks to analyze the specific ways in which the real life of the author plays a huge role in dictating the type of actual work the author is likely to produce.

War as a Motivating Factor

War can serve as one of the major topics which an author can choose to write about in his critical works. The presence of war in a given nation sets ground through which the author can comfortably convey a given message through the sequence of events. Goulston agrees with the fact that war has a significant effect on how the authors choose to perceive war (Goulston et. al 67). In such a case, the author may decide to focus on the positive effects which the war brought to the neighborhood. In other instances, the author may choose to air his bitterness towards the subject matter and ultimately start controversial finger pointing. All these elements are very significant in providing the creativity aspect in a skilled author. A classic example can be places where war has engulfed the region for instance Syria. A creative novelist will script about the ways the war has affected the well-being of the citizens and try to come up with measures or ideas which can be of help to the citizens. Hence, war significantly acts as one of the major factors which shape the creativity of any writer.

Slavery and Oppression as Influences

The aspect of slavery and oppression also serves as part of the motivating elements which dictate the reasoning of the writer. The issue of abuse can directly or indirectly impact on the creativity of the author thus dictating the kind of content he shares with the audience. Bloom in his book asserts that the period of oppression and slavery acted as an essential hub for the transition of literature in the reconstruction period (Bloom, 98). The book proves that the environment and the daily challenges which an individual undergoes can act as an essential bedrock which can construct literature. Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is a perfect example of an author who applied the basics of the environment to pass out the message of oppression and racial discrimination. Hughes was an African-American novelist and also a poet who hailed from an ancestry of slaves. Hence, as a result, the poet opted to dedicate all his life and literal works focusing on the experiences of the black community in the United States. As a result of being bred by his grandmother, the author became fond of his heritage and developed a strong sense of pride for his culture. Additionally, the author personally experienced the Harlem Renaissance which occurred in the 1920s and thus marked a very critical point in the life of the author. The Harlem Renaissance majorly focused on the customs of the black people and hence the period formed a crucial step in dictating the career of the artist. Therefore, it is evident that the situation in the environment where the author is brought out hugely affects his or her thinking and the type of material he decides to share with his audience.

Early Development Stages

The early development stages of a person also dictate the type of individual he or she will be in the future. Numerous analytical analysis and statistics point out that the early development stages of an infant significantly shape the overall perception of the child as he or she grows. The type of family, the individual characters of the people, and the common beliefs also play a central role in the life of any person. Bloom notes that the thinking of a young child is mainly based on the principles of the family or the type of people whom the child interacts with on a daily basis (Bloom, 47). Therefore, it goes without question that the early life of a child can be shaped with the kind of persons who are there to guide and protect him. A very eminent example of such perception is Emily Dickinson, who is one of the best poets in American history. The author was born and bred in a royal and prosperous family based in Massachusetts. All her life, the young child lived a quiet and lonely life, and this gave her the ability to get into contact with her inner thoughts comprehensively. Also, this was propelled by the fact that she did not enjoy a cordial relationship with her parents because they kept pushing for the Christian doctrine which was upheld in the family. As a result, she opted to live a life of seclusion in the sense that she never got married and never had an interest in gaining new friends. Due to all these, she developed a powerful aspect of imagination which can easily be detected in the type of lyrics she writes in her poems. Most of her works mainly focus on a world where everything is possible, and thus this proves the extent of the imagination. Hence, in this case, it is apparent that the author captures the real-life experiences in which she undergoes to write her poems.

Politics and Governance

Literature can be used to address real-life issues as observed in very many nations. Conversely, the realism in life can be expressed through the use of linguistic paths. One of the major elements which shape the current society is the political dispensation of any given region. The mode of governance, whether good or bad, can comfortably be expressed through literature. An unjust government can be condemned or ashamed through the use of research. Kaur highlights that poets and novelists have a huge role in emancipating the masses and keeping the government in check when they oppress the common man (Kaur, 132). Therefore, it goes without question that the overall situation of a nation can be used by an author to air the grievances and all the troubles the citizens of a country are facing. A perfect example of an artist who stood to criticize an oppressive government is the Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka. Soyinka stood aggressively to condemn the unjust Nigerian government and the influence of military dictators. One of his greatest stanzas is when he points to the oppressive boot and how irrelevant the color of the foot which is wearing the boot can be. In this case, he was pointing out that governance does not necessarily depend on color but solely depends on the interests of an individual. Additionally, he went ahead to challenge other African leaders who are power hungry and are not ready for democracy. Hence, in this case, it is evident that the real-life situations affecting an individual serve as a primary determinant factor of the content he or she will share with the audience.

Inspiration from Real Life Experiences

Many authors tend to use their real-life experiences to inspire and motivate other individuals who are undergoing the same situation the novelist underwent. Biographies and autobiographies are written with the aim of sharing real-life experiences with other persons who may benefit from some of the values from the writing. Goulston affirms that biographies and autobiographies tend to touch on the specific issues which an individual undergoes with the aim of impacting or inspiring another individual (Goulston, 76). These books tend to pass an actual account of the experiences which an individual undergoes and the steps he or she takes to overcome the ordeal. A perfect example of such a book is by the American Neurosurgeon, Ben Carson Think Big. The books collectively point out the troubles he faces in his quest to become a neurosurgeon and how racial discrimination slimmed his chance of achieving his dream. Despite all the challenges and the shortcomings, Ben becomes successful and achieves the first brain surgery successfully. In this perspective, it is evident that the author shares the actual events in his life with the aim of inspiring and motivating other persons who feel rejected and totally out of place. In this case, we can clearly deduce how the real-life experiences of an individual can be used to develop literature and how such type of literature can affect the audience. Moreover, such literature can be applied in educating other people on the importance of positively accepting the various challenges that we face in our day to day activities. Thus, it is clear that the classical real-life experiences contribute a greater portion of literature than any other sources.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is evident that the real-life situations determine most of the content aired by the authors. From the essay, we can deduce that the typical conditions or circumstances which the author is exposed to serve a great deal in dictating the dimensions of the content which they share with the audience. Additionally, some are driven by the concept of imagination which takes center stage in their poems and novels. In other instances, the authors tend to educate the masses and educate them on the various ways of life they can adapt. Many authors also share their actual life experiences with the aim of conveying a particular message to a given audience. Biographies and autobiographies are usually written with the purpose of inspiring or motivating individuals to do the things which may seem impossible. Hence, the above examples showcase how real-life experiences influence the works of authors.

Works cited

Bloom, Harold. The Anatomy of Influence: Literature as a Way of Life. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press, 2012. Print.

Goulston, Mark, and John B. Ullmen. Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving in. New York: American Management Association, 2013. Print.

Kaur, Gurpreet. Real Life Writings in American Literary Journalism: A Narratological Study. Partridge Pub, 2015. Print.