I have concluded that the word, “letters” is the most important when describing literature.

My
reasoning comes from how the world has evolved. We have a large amount of types of literature that do
not belong, by “definition”. Such as: music, with and without lyrics, graphic novels, speeches, and even
protests. The western adaptation of the word literature is an homage to our freedom and right to
express ourselves. The adaptations do not need to follow constricted ruling because the world has
progressed for so long this way. Although “oral literature” seems to be a conflict of definitions, the
concept of the spoken word is too powerful to deny.

I grew up in a town that pushed children through the school system as fast as possible. No matter your
difficulties learning. My mother used to do some of my assignments because of my falling behind. I had
a massive gap in my literacy skills till the age of sixteen. I was placed into a special education classroom
where at the young adult age I was being shoveled beginner phonics homework. I then began to use
subtitles from film and lyrics from songs to teach myself what I was never educated on. My speech has
improved greatly, and I have self-taught myself everything that I know. Now when I watch a film or hear
a song, I feel a great emotional connection to the spoken word.

I have always connected more with the characters in a story than anything else. A good set of characters
and the interactions between them can really sell the viewer on the realism. At any age a viewer can
connect personally with someone in a story. A young boy who wants to be a super hero is very common.
Not because the super hero lives in a specific time or in a specific area, but because of the connection
made to the character’s duty to be righteous and loved. Without key characters there are no heroes, no
villains, and no damsels in distress.