Language Is A Virus :: essays research papers

Language Is A VirusA written work, whether it is a story, a poem or a song, can be as vagueand indeterminable as a painting and given to umpteen opposite interpretations. Itgives an opportunity for the ref to use his imagination and his emotions inabsorbing the writing and comprehending its marrow.The interpretation of written work varies with circumstances, such asdifferent cultures, religions, historical times or just personal feelings.Folk tales and legends ar stories that have been passed throughoutgenerations and are being told in many parts of the world in different languages.These stories, originally written as local tales, pass the boundaries of theirlocalities and become absent-minded into the folklore of other religions andcountries through publication in other languages. In many cases they are beingaltered to suit the tastes, customs and modes of behavior of the creation towhich the readers belong. In other instances the written works are absorbed indifferent loca lities, in their original forms, but even then their meaningvaries in accordance with the cultural, religious and economical conditions ofthe country as a whole and of the reader as an individual.Obviously, a written work is a product of the period in which it is written.Unless it is a historical tale, the subjects, characters and events described,would be of a temporary nature or have a temporary observation tower and appeal. Manywritings are of a controversial nature and as such they appeal to some but canmeet with a violent disapproval by others. Salman Rashdie has been lucky tosurvive the violent provoke of the Muslim world. But at the same time he became normal with many segments of the population, not necessarily due to thegreatness of his writing, but in the beginning because of the controversial subject hetouches upon, the fact that he criticizes his own and that his reprovalappeals to a non Muslim reader.Language is like a