"Preface" and "Literature"

I found it difficult to stay focused on the first two readings. Despite the fact that neither of the selections really caught my interest, I did find a few points interesting. In Arnold’s “Preface,” he suggests that the purpose of the essay is to “recommend culture as the great help out of our present difficulties” as opposed to turning to religious establishments. Later in the preface, Arnold clarifies by saying, “That is because culture, in its aim at perfection, to see things as they really are, sees how worthy and divine a thing is the religious side in man, though it is not the whole of man.” I completely agree with the point Arnold is trying to make; I think that religion is important, however, I don’t believe that non-religious people are necessarily bad. Religion does not make the entire person.

While reading “Literature,” I found it really interesting to see how the concept of literature has changed over time. Throughout history, being literate meant you were of a higher social class. Today, however, literature can be read by almost anybody, regardless of social standing.