The Light of Literature

Alan Moore’s Light of Thy Countenance defines literature through a form of media. The narration is from point of view of a TV that loses itself through the portrayal of many roles. Through the character, Maureen Cooper, and her actress, the voice has shown a sentiment side of itself. Maureen’s record of conflicts especially, revealed the scarring moments that had brought upon emotions of pain and fear. As a result, this cult of personality gives literature another dimension – the capability of displaying sensations beyond the context of words.

The digital form of literature also plays as a time capsule connecting the past and the present. It gives references to many events of the early 20^th century and sheds light on its slow rise to power by creating virtual illusions on screens. It comes to a point when these images have influenced the mass so heavily that it becomes difficult to distinguish the borderline between the virtual and real world. Viewers have gotten too engaged into the virtual works of pixels that its effects have been incorporated into the real world. The most radical example is the man’s acknowledgement of the TV over his partner. The author wistfully depicts this as the deterioration of human rationale that is dominated by a figment created by his own kind.   

This novel also alludes to the struggle between science and religion. Many times, the narration has deemed itself as God due to its ubiquitous control and influential power. Through this aspect, literature has shown us that the rise of technology has indeed erased the many beauties of nature. This is also why I regard this comic book as a piece of literature, that it serves the purpose as an informative and didactic device. Likewise, literature should not be limited to pure textual content, but instead be more decorative with the addition of concrete imagery and reach the audience with a fuller potential.