Literature Will Never Progress

"Literature doesn't evolve or improve or progress." (p. 9)

In Northrop Frye's first lecture, "The Motive for Metaphor", he explains how science is continuously changing and progressing where as "literature doesn't evolve or improve or progress." (p. 9) Frye supports his opinion by stating that a current physics student would be more advanced than Newton. Although Newton was a pioneer in his time, he would fall far behind in today's studies of science due to the many advancements and novel discoveries the field has since witnessed. In contrast, literature does not posess the same capacity to evolve as the sciences do. Frye explains that any era may have the aptitude to create plays such as King Lear and Oedipus Rex (p. 10), but none will ever compare to the legacy of these stories. Despite being written thousands of years ago, these plays are still valued in today's society through continuous efforts to recite them, interpret them, and comprehend them. Northrop Frye and David McCullough both encourage their audience to read literature of any kind because the morals and life lessons that they offer are timeless. McCullough states that, "even the oldest book is brand new for the reader who opens it for the first time," indicating that literature written in the past can still be read by modern audiences. The ability of today's readers to appreciate classic literature is possible because "literature doesn't evolve or improve or progress."