The Power of Literature within Violence

Chantal Yoshino

The subject of violence becomes more complex the more one tries to understand it. Throughout history, we have seen violence used as a tool to intimidate those with less power. Although the government, military, and other powerful systems should protect its citizens from violence, it becomes difficult when they are the ones committing acts of violence. Not only is there a clear hypocrisy in our justification of violence and war, but oftentimes there is a disregard towards the violence employed by the oppressor, which stems from a selective application of judgment.

And so, the question arises: How does the less powerful defend themselves against oppressive violence? Through the use of literature, violence can be confronted and stopped. There are many layers that the subject of violence, violation, and war hold, and literature can help us understand themes that surround it. Literature is a universal language that can help us understand events and emotions that we may not ever experience within our own lives. It allows the voiceless masses to confront past wrongdoings in history, such as oppressive violence. Through literature, we can revisit the past, examine the present, and imagine a better future.

Throughout this course, we have analyzed different variations of literature that attempt to understand the use of violence within the context of war and a lack of human rights. We have also examined the various impacts of violence, including its psychological effects on individuals and communities, and the social and political ramifications that arise from it. We can conclude that violence is often used as a means of power and control, but also how we can use it as a catalyst for change. Literature is the core of our understanding of the world. On the subject of violence, literature can be used to confront tools of oppression that could not be done otherwise.

Within literature, the writer is able to create a world and narrative as they please. When the subject surrounds violence and oppression, the writer can only write what they believe to be just. By drawing from personal experiences, the writer can offer a new insight to such a complex subject. When analyzing something like violence which is so prevalent in our world, it is vital to understand it from multiple perspectives.

Franz Kafka is widely known as an absurdist philosophy writer and while many of his works are within a philosophical lens, they do not hinder his exploration of violence. Instead, his philosophical perspective provides a unique view through which violence can be examined. Kafka’s “In the Penal Colony” depicts the story of a man who is being persecuted without any knowledge as to why. The protagonist of the story (the visiting traveller), is observing the sitation just as the reader is. In the midst of touring this inhumane execution chamber, the visitor says to himself, “You are a foreigner, mind your own business…’ Yet here he found himself strongly tempted” (176). The reader is forced to question their own morals within this situation. Similar to the traveller, we are just an observer in our own world, but does this prevent us from taking action of our own? The soldier goes on to tell the traveller “you should only give curt answers, such as: 'Yes, I saw the execution,' or 'Yes, I had it explained to me.' Just that, nothing more. (182)”. By preventing a conversation about the inhumane practice, the soldier can continue to torture innocent people. By preventing a conversation between the traveler and commandment, the soldier can continue with the inhumane practice. Kafka's story does not shy away from tackling the imbalances in the justice system. The absurdity of the story speaks to Kafka’s relationship between violence and philosophy and his critique on it. While a story can be absurd and incomprehensible, it is able to exist as a metaphorical representation of the injustices within our own society.

Han Kang, the writer of “The Human Act”, offers a contrasting perspective to war and violence. While Kafka approaches the subject philosophically, Kang uses her own experience with generational trauma to tell a fictional story of Gwanju in 1980 - 2013. We meet a number of characters who live through the event differently including Kang herself. Although the story is fictional, it paints a very real story of the violence inflicted upon real innocent civilians, highlighting the physical and emotional toll of such state repression. “After you died I couldn’t hold a funeral, so these eyes that once beheld you became a shrine. These ears that once heard your voice became a shrine. These lungs that once inhaled your breath became a shrine“. The book highlights the often ignored but very real existence of generational trauma and its everlasting effects.

In the world we live in, versatility is vital in literature. In order to ensure an accurate representation of diverse perspectives, we must expand the cultural, historical, political, and geographical derivative of writing, and by doing so, we can ensure an accurate representation of diverse perspectives. Translating writing from one language to another can be difficult, as there are certain words that hold too much power to be translated. For this reason, it is vital that we continue to read and highlight the experiences of people from different backgrounds and cultures. We must continue to highlight the experiences of the voiceless, for if we do not, we cannot preserve history and heritage. While Han Kang and Franz Kafka’s writing are very different, they can still offer insight on the same subject. By incorporating unique perspectives, literature has the power to illuminate the deep rooted nature of human rights and deepen our comprehension of profound subjects.

There is a common misconception that literature must have a moral; a lesson that teaches the reader how to behave in the world. This is not true, as literature can serve to analyze our own morals more deeply. Literature has the power to let the reader come to their own conclusions and make their own decisions in writing. Within the context of violence, “The Death and the Maiden” written by Ariel Dorfman and “Draupadi” are two stories that allow the reader to decide the fate of the protagonist. In The Death and the Maiden, there is no true evidence of any claims made and the ending does not offer us a satisfactory conclusion. It is up to the reader to decide whether Roberto is guilty, and if Paulina kills him in the end. The reader is forced to create the internal dialogue of the story; is Roberto guilty? Is Paulina trustworthy? If he is guilty, what should his punishment be?

In Draupadi, the protagonist refuses to conform to the oppressor. In doing so, she is abused and raped in an attempt to silence and restrain her. The story doesn't end happily or sadly, but simply ends with a question; “What's the use of clothes? You can strip me, but how can you clothe me again? Are you a man?’ And for the first time [the oppressor] is afraid to stand before an unarmed target, terribly afraid.” (11)

The ending is not a satisfying redemption, but it still holds the power. The protagonist is left vulnerable and violated, yet in this state, is not afraid to confront the powerful. The story leaves the writer in the middle of a scene that is so intense and intimate. It is a reminder that violence is not open-and-shut, but is an open-ended problem with not just one solution. Sometimes literature cannot have a happily ever after, because the context within the writing does not allow it. While it may not be satisfactory, it is the unsettling feeling that comes with this literary powerlessness that violence is similarly reflected in our reality. Literature allows the reader to perceive the world through the eyes of the writer. A complex topic like violence cannot be understood in such simple terms, so when we can analyze it in literature, we can connect ourselves to experiences we haven’t faced. As literature continues to exist, so does the progression of society.