Williams and Arnold

Williams, I think, questions exactly how literature influences culture and how culture influences literature. Exactly which has the greater authority is to be debated, but to effectively discuss this topic; one would have to determine the effect of language on society and culture. I think Williams alludes to this problem by analyzing the evolution of criticism. Another latent subject in this essay is the question of who get to decide what constitutes literature. Is it the critic or culture? Does the critic tell society what is literature, or does society tell the critic?

Arnold was difficult grasp, I think, only because of the way religion holds such sway in his work. Religion simply does not have the authority it once did and because of this exposure to dogma is reduced the point that we simply may not know what he is talking about. Despite this, I found it interesting how seriously he contemplates religion, its relationship to society and its relationship to culture.