Defining Literature

Literature, and how we define it, has changed over the centuries. It has changed with different outlooks due to different times, and as time progresses, perspectives change and more ideas are created which broadens the creativity of literature. To me, any written piece of work that is useful in enriching life, escapism, luxury, or just something that can be used to pass the time can be defined as literature.

I find Alan Moore's Light of Thy Countenance to be an interesting piece of literature because illustrations and images are provided along with the text, giving visuals for the readers to see what exactly the writer wants the reader to see. I believe Moore's work is similar to a comic book because it provides words with pictures, which also reminded me of the digital story that we have read by Charles Cumming called "21 Steps" because Cumming was also creative with his work by adding images so that we can click on. Both Cumming's and Moore's work were entertaining and fun to read because I spent time looking at the pictures and trying to read the story through the pictures.

In Light of Thy Countenance, Moore was trying to show the negative effects of television and how it has the power to distract us from life. For example, there was a part in the book where we see the man giving his undivided attention to the television that he no longer gives recognition to the presence of his significant other. I believe that Moore's exaggeration on the negative effects of television and technology is somewhat true because I, myself, have experienced such things before. For example, when I would become a "couch potato" by sitting on the couch and watching t.v. all day, my mother would get irritated by the sight of this, and so she would assign chores for me to do, and yet, I don't listen to her and end up not doing the chores because I am so interested in watching what was on the television. Overall, I believe that advances in technology will lead to more distractions to humans.