Modern Classics Literature And Evil (Penguin Modern Classics)

In standardly written stories, conflict is not a convenience as much as it is a necessary component. What are stories, then, but places where authors create needless or unnecessary conflicts for their characters to overcome so as to either progress the plot or develop the personality traits of said protagonists? As such, aren't all stories, in a sense, evil? After all, could a story that didn't include a sense of conflict actually entertain? Furthermore, could a story, absent of evil, actually engage an audience for hours on end?Think of a story that did not have any conflict in it whatsoever: a place or setting where all people lived in a state of peace. Admittedly, it is a difficult thing to do. For, in such a peaceful setting, where conflict does not occur, there is no story. In order for an author to create a story, they would first have to disrupt this sense of peace. They would then need to implement an oppressive form of power (an antagonistic entity), calling for the creation of conflict between characters, which could then be resolved through the shaping of some type of narrative structure. In a sense, creating a story (more importantly, one with a plot) is the act of putting power conflicts in the place of calm and peaceful settings.Though many postmodern writers (and other writers still interested in experimentation) have attempted to create seemingly plot-less stories that do not rely on the creation of conflict, it is currently rare to see authors' stories be centered around peaceful settings. And those stories that are, are generally not ones that are going to be seen as entertaining in the eyes of an audience. Though it is possible to create stories without conflicts, it is difficult to keep an audience engaged or entertained by such a story for any prolonged period of time. Peaceful stories, where no conflict occurs, are generally ones where boredom is abound: ones where audiences generally become disinterested or disengaged through a lack of basic literary plot elements.From this, we can see why Bataille claims that literature is evil. Literature must be evil in order to exist and engage an audience. Evil must occur to create conflicts for characters to overcome, pushing both the plot as well as the progression of a protagonist's personality (for the personality of the protagonist is ultimately shaped by his or her antagonistic "Other"). After all, what memorable hero is without his arch-nemesis? What mythic man is without his slain monster?Since society is a power system, it is no surprise to see why people have become so receptive to seeing power struggles. Still, isn't it ironic to see how much more people appreciate power as opposed to a sense of peace in their stories? Though it is true that literature tends to focus on that which is fictitious, isn't it interesting to see how much of our fiction is influenced by fact? In other words, isn't it noteworthy to see how much of the excitement and meaning we find in such stories comes from our own power-based social predicaments: where peace is misplaced since it cannot stir, excite, or entertain an audience of people as prominently as power can through the creation of needless conflicts, which can then be overcome through the creation of heroic entities after whom we all aspire? It seems that the story shapes the man as much as the man shapes the story.

Very happy overall

Enjoyed… most informative

Book is great, Bataille did it well. but the printing is awful.