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    Heroic Ethnocentrism: The Idea of Universality in Literature

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    Noshaba Qureshi
    Charles Larson argues against the idea that literature can be universally understood across cultures. Through his experience teaching English novels in Africa, he observed that students struggled not with the science or technology but with the language, plots, characters, and cultural references like kissing scenes. Larson analyzed differences between Western and African cultures and concluded that what is deemed normal or fashionable in the West, like concepts of love and heroes, may not be recognized in Africa. Rather than view other cultures as inferior for not understanding literature the same way, Larson believes the term "universal" should be avoided, as each culture has its own set of norms and values shaped by different interpretations of literature.

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    Heroic Ethnocentrism: The Idea of Universality in Literature

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    Noshaba Qureshi
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    Charles Larson argues against the idea that literature can be universally understood across cultures. Through his experience teaching English novels in Africa, he observed that students struggled not with the science or technology but with the language, plots, characters, and cultural references like kissing scenes. Larson analyzed differences between Western and African cultures and concluded that what is deemed normal or fashionable in the West, like concepts of love and heroes, may not be recognized in Africa. Rather than view other cultures as inferior for not understanding literature the same way, Larson believes the term "universal" should be avoided, as each culture has its own set of norms and values shaped by different interpretations of literature.

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    Charles Larson argues against the idea that literature can be universally understood across cultures. Through his experience teaching English novels in Africa, he observed that students struggled not with the science or technology but with the language, plots, characters, and cultural references like kissing scenes. Larson analyzed differences between Western and African cultures and concluded that what is deemed normal or fashionable in the West, like concepts of love and heroes, may not be recognized in Africa. Rather than view other cultures as inferior for not understanding literature the same way, Larson believes the term "universal" should be avoided, as each culture has its own set of norms and values shaped by different interpretations of literature.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    556 views3 pages

    Heroic Ethnocentrism: The Idea of Universality in Literature

    Uploaded by

    Noshaba Qureshi
    Charles Larson argues against the idea that literature can be universally understood across cultures. Through his experience teaching English novels in Africa, he observed that students struggled not with the science or technology but with the language, plots, characters, and cultural references like kissing scenes. Larson analyzed differences between Western and African cultures and concluded that what is deemed normal or fashionable in the West, like concepts of love and heroes, may not be recognized in Africa. Rather than view other cultures as inferior for not understanding literature the same way, Larson believes the term "universal" should be avoided, as each culture has its own set of norms and values shaped by different interpretations of literature.

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    “Heroic Ethnocentrism: the idea of universality in literature”

    Charles Larson in his essay “Heroic Ethnocentrism: the idea of universality in literature”
    talks about what universality of literature is:

     “The belief that the universal attitudes should be the same, irrespective of society.

    Later, he rejects the idea of universality in literature; According to him:

     Literature produced in one culture represents a set of values which are peculiar to that
    culture only, therefore, to call a piece of literature universal is to impose these values
    on other arbitrarily.

    He writes,

     “when we try to force the concept of universality on someone who is not Western, I
    think we are implying that our own culture should be the standard of measurement”.
     “Why do we expect to others to react the same way as we do?”

    Larson claims,

     “For the most part, the term ‘universal’ has been grossly misused when it has been
    applied to non- Western literature, because it has so often been used in a way that
    ignores the multiplicity of cultural experiences.”

    He justifies his views by sharing his English teaching experience in Africa,

     When he was teaching an English novel, his students faced a few problems
     He thought (problems) will be related to Technology and Science.

    Reality (The problems were related with):

     Language.
     Literature.
     Culture.

    Language:

     ESL.
     Vocabulary.
     Connotations (Experience of Literature).

    Literature:

     Plot.
     Characters.
     Length of Novel.
     Long Description passages.

    Culture:
     For example, kissing scenes in novels.
    o Meaning:
    o What it is Adult (15-24 years).
    o GFs
    o Married
    o Occurred
    o Students = Confused / Emotional
    o Solution
    o European Educated Teacher
    o Africans “Don’t Kiss”

    Larson holds that:

     He analyses the African culture and literature in comparison to that of the western.
     He concludes that whatever are deemed fashionable in west, are even not recognized
    by many people in Africa.
     For example, the concept which are very in vogue in west and are parts of western
    culture, such as kissing, sex, love, lengthy descriptions of country-life and the concept
    of hero.

    Western and African cultures are different from each other.

     Western Culture:
    o Love Story (Central Theme)
    o Hero, Male (plot line progresses)
    o Seduction (Major Goal)
    o Fate of Lover (Significant element of the story)
    o Lack of concern about death
     African Culture:
    o Don’t write love stories
    o Women (Minor Role)
    o Marriage (Not concern of the noel)
    o Not Included: Graphic description of erotic love, Kisses, Holding Hands
    (Western Sense), Hero Concept (Groups, Instead).

    But does it imply that these people are inferior and uncivilized if they don’t know the western
    values?

     He writes, “Are these attitudes so different for the African?


     Is the African way of life less sophisticated than our own? Or − Is the belief that these
    supposedly ‘universal’ attitudes should be the same as ours the naïve one?
     Is this what we really mean when we talk about ‘universality’ in literature.
     If someone does not react to something in our literature the same way that we do, then
    he is to be considered inferior?
     Perhaps the term itself is meaningless”.

    The term ‘universal’ has been grossly misused when it has been applied to non-Western
    literature, because it has so often been used in a way that ignores the multiplicity of cultural
    experiences.
     Each culture has its own set of norms and values which are peculiar to them.
     One thing natural in one society is not natural at all in the other
     Culture shapes our interpretations of literature in different ways
     Description of nature/events differs from culture to culture
     People love/die in every society, but their reactions are different to these so is their
    interpretation of literature.

    “The time has come when we should avoid the use of the term ‘universal.”

     We should not expect people who are not of our own culture and heritage to respond
    in the same way that we do to our own literature.
     The purpose of any piece of literature, no matter what culture it was produced in, is to
    show us something we were previously unaware of.

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