Looking through the Glass of the Society A Theoretical Overview of the Sociology of Literature

Résumé

The present work attempts to provide a theoretical account of one of the most important perspectives in literature namely the sociology of literature. It seeks to crystalize how literature mirrors society and how writers use it as a mean to reflect human life and experience, confront social issues and settle social controversies. The work also provides an overview on how society and literature are mutually dependent. They both affect and are affected by each other. While literature mirrors society, the latter directs literary movements and theories. The paper as well attempts to clarify the extent to which literature can depict society, the limitations and outlooks. The writer’s role to depict real life images of the society is also stressed. By the end of the present paper, one can conclude that literature depicts society in an attempt to make society realize its ills and values to suggest social amends while the society nurtures literature.