I've been studying literature for a while now, and a conversation I had the other day about "literary merit" got me thinking about the term. Namely, that most of my favorite stories probably wouldn't be considered "high art" by my peers. Stories like Watchmen, Berserk, End of Evangelion, and Lord of the Rings would never make it onto a list of classics, even though they're just as complex as any work of literature or film I've enjoyed. Indeed, maybe more so.
I find this rather strange, since I researched the term "literary merit," and realized that there aren't any objective standards. This has me rather split.
On the one hand I think there should be a sort of dividing line between pop fiction and well written classics. I helps keep things organized. On the other hand it seems like legitimate works or brilliant art are excluded because of their genre, and not because of their content. Stories like Watchmen, and Eva, which come from traditionally pulpy mediums, but that manage to be masterpieces in their own right. It seems absurd, then, that those kinds of stories should be ignored.
My question is this: do you think there should be a criteria for studying "art," and if so, what should it be? Or do you think that the whole thing is subjective, and should be ignored?
I find this rather strange, since I researched the term "literary merit," and realized that there aren't any objective standards. This has me rather split.
On the one hand I think there should be a sort of dividing line between pop fiction and well written classics. I helps keep things organized. On the other hand it seems like legitimate works or brilliant art are excluded because of their genre, and not because of their content. Stories like Watchmen, and Eva, which come from traditionally pulpy mediums, but that manage to be masterpieces in their own right. It seems absurd, then, that those kinds of stories should be ignored.
My question is this: do you think there should be a criteria for studying "art," and if so, what should it be? Or do you think that the whole thing is subjective, and should be ignored?