¿Para qué sirve la literatura?

Jorge Majfud’s books at Amazon>>

À quoi sert la littérature ? (French)

What good is literature, anyway? (English)

¿Para qué sirve la literatura? (II)

¿Para qué sirve la literatura?

Estoy seguro que muchas veces habrán escuchado esa demoledora inquisición “¿Bueno, y para qué sirve la literatura?”, casi siempre en boca de algún pragmático hombre de negocios; o, peor, de algún Goering de turno, de esos semidioses que siempre esperan agazapados en los rincones de la historia, para en los momentos de mayor debilidad salvar a la patria y a la humanidad quemando libros y enseñando a ser hombres a los hombres. Y si uno es escritor, palo, ya que nada peor para una persona con complejos de inferioridad que la presencia cercana de alguien que escribe. Porque si bien es cierto que nuestro financial time ha hecho de la mayor parte de la literatura una competencia odiosa con la industria del divertimento, todavía queda en el inconsciente colectivo la idea de que un escritor es un subversivo, un aprendiz de brujo que anda por aquí y por allá metiendo el dedo en la llaga, diciendo inconveniencias, molestando como un niño travieso a la hora de la siesta. Y si algún valor tiene, de hecho lo es. ¿No ha sido ésa, acaso, la misión más profunda de toda la literatura de los últimos quinientos años? Por no remontarme a los antiguos griegos, ya a esta altura inalcanzables por un espíritu humano que, como un perro, finalmente se ha cansado de correr detrás del auto de su amo y ahora se deja arrastrar por la soga que lo une por el pescuezo.

Sin embargo, la literatura aún está ahí; molestando desde el arranque, ya que para decir sus verdades le basta con un lápiz y un papel. Su mayor valor seguirá siendo el mismo: el de no resignarse a la complacencia del pueblo ni a la tentación de la barbarie. Para todo eso están la política y la televisión. Por lo tanto, sí, podríamos decir que la literatura sirve para muchas cosas. Pero como sabemos que a nuestros inquisidores de turno los preocupa especialmente las utilidades y los beneficios, deberíamos recordarles que difícilmente un espíritu estrecho albergue una gran inteligencia. Una gran inteligencia en un espíritu estrecho tarde o temprano termina ahogándose. O se vuelve rencorosa y perversa. Pero, claro, una gran inteligencia, perversa y rencorosa, difícilmente pueda comprender esto. Mucho menos, entonces, cuando ni siquiera se trata de una gran inteligencia.

© Jorge Majfud

Montevideo, Diciembre de 2000.

Litterae (Chile)

https://www.eldia.es/cultura/2015-09-26/17-libro-ya-es-acto-resistencia-vulgarizacion-cultura.htm

 

What good is literature, anyway?

I am sure that you have heard many times this loaded query: «Well, what good is literature, anyway?» almost always from a pragmatic businessman or, at worst, from a Goering of the day, one of those pseudo-demigods that are always hunched down in a corner of history, waiting for the worst moments of weakness in order to «save» the country and humankind by burning books and teaching men how to be «real» men. And, if one is a freethinking writer during such times, one gets a beating, because nothing is worse for a domineering man with an inferiority complex than being close to somebody who writes. Because if it is true that our financial times have turned most literature into a hateful contest with the leisure industry, the collective unconscious still retains the idea that a writer is an apprentice sorcerer going around touching sore spots, saying inconvenient truths, being a naughty child at naptime. And if his/her work has some value, in fact he/she is all that. Perhaps the deeper mission of literature during the last five centuries has been precisely those things. Not to mention the ancient Greeks, now unreachable for a contemporary human spirit that, as a running dog, has finally gotten exhausted and simply hangs by its neck behind its owner’s moving car.

However, literature is still there; being troublesome from the beginning, because to say its own truths it only needs a modest pen and a piece of paper. Its greatest value will continue to be the same: not to resign itself to the complacency of the people nor to the temptation of barbarism. Politics and television are for that.

Then, yes, we can say literature is good for many things. But, because we know that our inquisitors of the day are most interested in profits and benefits, we should remind them that a narrow spirit can hardly shelter a great intelligence. A great intelligence trapped within a narrow spirit sooner or later chokes. Or it becomes spiteful and vicious. But, of course, a great intelligence, spiteful and vicious, can hardly understand this. Much less, then, when it is not even a great intelligence.

© Jorge Majfud

29 comentarios en “¿Para qué sirve la literatura?”

  8. Simply desire to say your article is as astounding.
    The clarity in your post is just cool and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the rewarding work.

    Me gusta

    Responder

  15. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
    You clearly know what youre talking about, why
    throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when
    you could be giving us something informative to
    read?

    Me gusta

    Responder

  18. Hey very cool blog!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Superb
    .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally?
    I am satisfied to find so many helpful information here in the publish, we
    want work out extra techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing.
    . . . . .

    Me gusta

    Responder

  19. Hi there, I discovered your website by the use of
    Google at the same time as searching for a related topic, your web site got here up,
    it appears great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

    Hello there, simply became alert to your blog thru Google,
    and found that it is really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels.
    I’ll be grateful when you continue this in future. Many people can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

    Me gusta

    Responder

  20. I think that everything published made a bunch of sense.
    But, what about this? suppose you added a little information?
    I mean, I don’t wish to tell you how to run your website, but what if you added a title that grabbed a person’s attention?
    I mean ¿Para qué sirve la literatura? | Escritos Críticos is kinda
    vanilla. You could glance at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they write post headlines to get viewers interested. You might try adding a video or a picture or two to grab readers excited about what you’ve written.

    Just my opinion, it could bring your posts a little bit
    more interesting.

    Me gusta

    Responder

  21. Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I’m gonna watch out
    for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future.
    Lots of people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

    Me gusta

    Responder

  22. I think that what you typed was very logical.
    However, consider this, what if you added a little content?
    I am not saying your content is not solid, however suppose you added a
    title that grabbed a person’s attention? I mean ¿Para qué sirve la literatura? | Escritos Críticos is a little plain. You ought to peek at Yahoo’s front page and see
    how they create post titles to get people interested.
    You might try adding a video or a related picture or two to grab people excited about everything’ve written. Just my opinion, it would bring your blog a little livelier.

    Me gusta

    Responder

  23. Thanks on your marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a
    great author. I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will eventually come back later in life.
    I want to encourage yourself to continue your great posts, have
    a nice afternoon!

    Me gusta

    Responder

  28. hi!,I really like your writing very so much! proportion we
    keep up a correspondence extra about your post on AOL?
    I need a specialist in this area to resolve my problem.
    Maybe that’s you! Having a look ahead to look you.

    Me gusta

    Responder

Este sitio utiliza Akismet para reducir el spam. Conoce cómo se procesan los datos de tus comentarios.