DEFINITION OF A STORY - The Test of Time
Many great works of literature can be found to be old or from the past. In this way they are like fossils, a historic idea preserved in words on paper, and we get insight into the thinking and ideas of that time period. A great novel represents the ethics, morality, and the longing and aspirations of the human mind during the time period it was written. One such book is Ender’s Game. This novel is a critically acclaimed work written in 1985 that has captured the minds of many readers, although not all. This is because it writes about a controversial topic that some people didn’t like to dream about then: the future. This novel is set sometime in the future, where there have already been two wars with aliens from another planet, and the “military” trains children to be the leaders of tomorrow. A boy from Greensboro is selected into the program and later leads the military into victory, although he doesn’t know it at the moment. This is an exceptional novel due to the fact that the characters aren’t perfect. They all have their own faults and insecurities. This can be seen when Ender, the main character himself, says, “I don't care if I pass your test, I don't care if I follow your rules. If you can cheat, so can I. I won't let you beat me unfairly - I'll beat you unfairly first.” (Card 226). Ender, clearly thinks if one person cheats, the other is allowed to as well. Such are the rules of war. In many science fiction novels, the characters are portrayed as perfect, larger-than-life superheroes. But in doing so, the characters don’t feel relatable, and the plot becomes dull and boring. What makes some “great works” better than the others is the fact that the characters are relatable and understandable. This makes us believe that anything is possible, so long as you dream it. This also makes us think about what things were like, and where we are going. Ender’s Game is a prime example of this, and it has truly withstood the test of time to be the book it is today.
Works of literature that have endured so long have done so for a reason. Perhaps they evoked thoughts into the people who read them, through their word choice. Word choice is arguably one of the most important aspects of a book. It is, after all, a novel. The words that an author prints onto the paper greatly influence how the reader feels about it. Take, for example, To Kill A Mockingbird. It was written in 1960, when there were still feelings of racism and hatred in the South, such as the state of Alabama, where the author and the main character were born and raised. To Kill A Mockingbird is iconic because it is just that: an icon of anti-segregation and anti-racism. This sort of thinking, the thinking that equalizes people of all colors, was quite unusual during that time, but that is what makes it so exciting. Harper Lee does a magnificent job portraying the viewpoint of an innocent girl seeing something sinful like convicting a black man of a crime he didn’t commit even when the evidence supports him through the words that Lee makes her say. Her words are the reason we picture her as a tomboy who is still understanding the goings-on of her world. Atticus, the lawyer, however, expresses a strong sense of duty when he alone steps up to defend the black man when no one else wants to and implores the jury to, “in the name of God, do [their] duty.” (Lee 209). To Kill A Mockingbird, swirling around in the hurricane of time, has been able to catch the eye, both of the hurricane and of the reader, and has successfully done so by using the vivid language and the imaginative thinking of the author, Harper Lee.
Even though there are plenty of great books in the world to behold, there are far more books of which cannot be said the same. The reason behind this is the fact that great books need to get everything right to be acclaimed as such, but less-than-great novels need to get only one wrong to achieve their title. Two such examples are Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Pygmalion and its main character, Eliza Doolittle, do not excite the reader. Instead, the book is just about a man who teaches a girl some manners. Eliza isn’t the most relatable character and the idea that connects the whole book is outdated. This is shown in Pygmalion when Eliza exclaims, “I sold flowers. I didn’t sell myself. Now you’ve made a lady of me I’m not fit to sell anything else.” (Shaw 61). Not many people in this era can relate to a flower girl who learns some manners to open a flower shop. Because of this, although the rest of the book is admittedly good, it is not the great book it could have been. Relatively, Macbeth may not appeal to all audiences in the current generation in its original form due to the medieval language and setting. True, there are translations and the concept is original and good, but in its original form, it might not be considered by everyone to be a great novel.
In the humongous sea of books available on the Earth, only a few books ever achieve the status of “great” in our eyes. The best of stories have endured the test of time because they not only give a glimpse of the era they were published, but also provide insight into the ethics, morality, longings, and aspirations of humankind during that time. An enduring story almost always, like the two sides of the same coin, is built upon a dilemma between contradictory thoughts, actions, and outcomes that the story navigates through. Eventually, it provides hope for the optimal outcome in line with the progress of civilization or society, so that it serves as a beacon for the future generations to ponder upon and to take note of, be it the legends and epics of the ancient world or books like To Kill A Mockingbird and Ender’s Game. To Kill A Mockingbird allowed people to see what was right and what was wrong then and it allows us to see what is right and wrong now. It helps us understand what not to do, and what truly is good for the world. Ender’s Game shows us that there will always be some integrity and virtue in the world, regardless of the happenings of that time. Great works like these will forever be great because they were able to instill hope in people when there seemed to be none of it left.
All books have a plot, character, and a climax, but it is a thought-provoking word choice, relatable characters, the ability to provide hope when there seems to be none, and the author's good intent that truly makes a great work great. Time is like a river, and books are like fish. Only the best books get to make it to the ocean and be acclaimed as one of the greatest works in the art of literature. It can be argued that all books are good in someone’s eyes, but it is the great books that are good in everyone’s eyes. Like Neil Gaiman said, “A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.” Books and stories have been passed down from generation to generation for millennia, but it is those stories that have made it thus far and still be appreciated that can be said to have withstood the test of time.
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