To Remember Our Time
It's funny to consider the fact that in modern day, a lot of what our culture is based on is deemed "popular culture" or rather, "low culture". Where everything is so in the moment, it's hard to say whether anything at all will leave a lasting impression on our society. The constant state of mind is the newest, hottest piece of art, literature, or music is the thing that will last in the grand scheme of things. But then we forget the newest and the hottest the moment that it becomes not so new.
Of course, the same thing could be said about Shakespeare's time. He was the popular culture of his era, the one that everybody loved, and yet he has endured longer than those who were deemed "high culture" in his day. In a way, I guess it's all relative to how a person thinks or feels.
I guess because I love reading, it's my favorite pass time, I consider a bunch of different books worthy of remembering but they very well might not be even mentioned as the years continue. For now, based on popular opinion and how long it's lasted, I'll support the "Harry Potter will last forever" campaign. There's the whole other side which is Twilight but let's not get into that.
What makes J.K. Rowling's literature worthy of classifying our time as a society is that although it is full of fantasy, it resonates with many people. The characteristics of the literature such as the characters, the settings, and the circumstances have something that allows even young readers to connect with. It's hard to be able to reach a wide variety of people and have them coming away changed in some way. Just like how the people in Greece connected with the characters and stories in The Illiad and The Odyssey, people from our day find themselves entwined with the characters in a way no other book has. It illustrates good morals such as placing an importance on family, doing what's right, and in the end being obedient when asked to do something.
The fantasy aspect of the books has little to do with the fact that it should and very well might end up lasting beyond this point. Who knows what the future holds but just based on merit alone, who says it won't last forever?
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