Social justice in literature

Literature may be used as a tool to promote social justice. Literature is a written work with artistic or cultural value, while social justice refers to the equitable distribution of rights and resources within a society. Literature has been used to give voice to minority populations, show the failings of specific governments, and expose readers to perspectives that they might not have otherwise considered.

Literature has been used to depict and illustrate various social justice movements, including abolitionism, feminism, and the continued opposition to racism. Throughout history, authors have used their platform to draw new readers to their cause, increasing the size of social justice movements. Two popular works that blend literary success with advancing social justice include Solomon Northup’s 1855 narrative Twelve Years a Slave and Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Northup’s work describes the horrors of enslavement while Atwood’s illustrates the importance of feminism.

Background

Most literature falls into four categories: nonfiction prose, fiction prose, drama, and poetry. Prose refers to any work that follows standard grammatical rules. Nonfiction prose is based primarily on facts, while fiction may include exaggerated and unrealistic elements. Drama may be fictional or nonfictional and is meant to be performed in front of an audience. Poetry refers to writing that uses non-standard grammatical rules to describe scenes, express feelings, and communicate thoughts.

While some written works may be immediately recognized as literature, others take many years to receive this classification. Many types of writing can be considered literature. For example, oral histories and folktales have been classified as literature by contemporary critics.

Social justice is the fair and equitable division of resources and opportunities within a larger society. The concept was created by the mid-nineteenth century Jesuit priest Luigi Taparelli. He viewed social justice as a religious concept, arguing that humans should use natural theology and religion to determine the morally correct course of action in a given situation. During the Industrial Revolution, the term came to refer to a moral obligation for people within a society to work toward a common good.

The concept of social justice continued to grow in popularity throughout the twentieth century. It was explored by the famous philosopher John Rawls in his 1971 work A Theory of Justice, in which Rawls urges people to consider what levels of inequality should be permitted within a society. Rawls suggests that such a question should be answered while behind a “veil of ignorance,” meaning that people should not consider their own circumstances when determining what is and is not equal. Additionally, Rawls suggests that social and economic inequality might be considered moral if it benefits society as a whole.

Because the definition of social justice changes over time, no universal definition of the term exists. Despite this, most modern definitions of social justice incorporate several principles: access, equity, diversity, participation, and human rights. In this context, access means ensuring that a society’s resources are readily available to all members, regardless of their social class or economic means. These resources may include education, employment, housing, and health care.

Equity is the belief that everyone should have the same opportunity to succeed. The poor should not be prevented from pursuing certain careers, and the wealthy should not have exclusive opportunities to such careers. Additionally, equity refers to the idea that resources should be distributed in a way that addresses the specific needs of certain demographics, such as underprivileged communities.

 Diversity is the idea that those working in governments and other important positions within a society should be representative of the community they serve. No one demographic should disproportionately hold leadership positions over others. Everyone should be granted the opportunity to participate in their community’s decision-making process. No group should be excluded from voting or participating in their government.

Lastly, human rights should be respected by both the government and other societal leaders. Human rights include the right to bodily autonomy, freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience, as well as many other important concepts. In some cases, access to food, shelter, and health care are considered fundamental human rights.

Overview

Literature has played an important role in bringing to light social injustices throughout much of human history. However, not everyone agrees that social injustices exist or are problematic. Opponents of the concept may contend that people already have equal access to resources, and those who lack basic resources do not work as hard as those who have these resources. Some individuals are biased and prejudiced against certain demographics, believing that people within these demographics are less deserving than others. Still others remain unaware of the plights and struggles faced by minority groups throughout the world, especially those that result in less equitable distributions of societal resources.

Literature can help the proponents of social justice address each of these problems. For example, it is likely that those who feel that society does not struggle with inequality have little or no exposure to racism, sexism, classism, and other widespread problems. They may also be unaware of the generational traumas that can influence lives. By reading about social justice in literature, people who doubt the existence of such issues can be exposed to new perspectives. Literature allows readers to experience the world through others’ eyes. This can expose readers to the historical problems faced by minority groups, allowing them to develop a new sense of respect and empathy for those facing such problems. In many cases, literature featuring the perspectives and struggles of minority groups can help fight biased and prejudiced thinking. Such is the case with Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave. In this work, Northup shares his experiences as a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into enslavement in the deep South. He spent twelve years enslaved in Louisiana before his friends and family in New York were able to secure his freedom. In Twelve Years a Slave, Northup graphically describes his experiences in slave markets and how he was treated while being forced to work on plantations.

Twelve Years a Slave shed light on the horrors of enslavement in the United States. Northup shows how the legal system of the time aided plantation owners by encouraging them to treat workers inhumanely. In this way, the publication of Twelve Years a Slave encouraged readers to support the abolishment of slavery, advancing the cause of social justice.

In addition to exposing people to new perspectives, literature and social justice can work together to give voices to those marginalized by society. All American Boys (2015), by Jason Reynolds, explores racial tensions in a town after sixteen-year-old Rashad is beaten by a police officer when he is mistaken for a shoplifter. Quinn Collins is a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate. He witnesses the violence but is conflicted because the officer who hurt Rashad is the man who has raised him since his own father died in Afghanistan. The tensions within the town explode as people vehemently take sides.

The novel Demon Copperhead (2022), by Barbara Kingsolver, grapples with racism, poverty, and classism. Narrating the story is Copperhead, the son of a teenage mother. As a boy, Copperhead is forced to endure abuse in foster care, child labor, inadequate schools, and addiction. His father has died but Copperhead has inherited his red hair, good looks, and strong survival instincts. Copperhead brings to light the perils of poor people, especially children, in rural communities.

The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hussein, takes place in Afghanistan in the twentieth century, covering the Soviet invasion of the country and the rise of the Taliban. The novel explores the violence and its lack of purpose within the country and how it has affected its citizens.

In her 1985 work The Handmaid’s Tale, author Margaret Atwood uses a fictional setting to show the plight of women living within a patriarchal society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, a totalitarian government known as the Republic of Gilead has overthrown the US government, taking away the rights of many women. These women, known as handmaids, are stripped of their individuality, reproductive rights, and personal agency. Many of these issues are faced by women throughout the world.

By using her platform as a writer to draw awareness to her cause, Atwood warned society that the rights of minority groups were never truly safe. Her work encourages women who face discrimination from totalitarian regimes to band together, safeguarding their liberties and resisting any who might attack them. In doing so, her work used literature to promote positive social change.

Bibliography

Bell, Lee Anne. “What Is Social Justice Education?” Learning for Justice, 24 Apr. 2023, www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-social-justice-education. Accessed 2 June 2024.

Hauhart, Robert C. and Birkenstein, Jeff. Critical Insights: Social Justice & American Literature, Salem Press, Nov. 2017.

Long, Liza. “What Is Literature and Why Do We Study It?” College of Western Idaho, 16 Jan. 2024, cwi.pressbooks.pub/lit-crit/. Accessed 2 July 2024.

“Social Justice & Literature.” University of North Carolina, englishcomplit.unc.edu/concentration/social-justice-literature/. Accessed 2 June 2024.

“The Five Principles of Social Justice.” Kent State University, 30 July 2020, onlinedegrees.kent.edu/blog/five-principles-of-social-justice. Accessed 2 July 2024.