A Short Summary of Terry Eagleton's "What is Literature?"

Although numerous attempts have been made to define "literature" or identify its characteristics, no successful definition has fully accounted for the complexities of language and the diverse range of written texts. For instance: Definition based on Imagination vs. Fact Some define literature as imaginative or fictive writing, distinct from factual or historical works. However, this definition raises several challenges: The perception of "fact" varies across cultures and time periods. Is the book of Genesis or the entire Bible considered fact or fiction? Are the legends and myths from Greek, Scandinavian, and Native American cultures fact or fiction? Is Darwin's "Origin of Species" fact or fiction? Are news reports fact or fiction? Not all imaginative writing is considered literature. Comic books, computer game stories, and Harlequin Romances, despite their imaginative nature, are typically excluded from the category of "literature." Many works t…