Are Griefs and Secrets Synonymous??

Recently I came across a WhatsApp story that had posted picture of a very famous contemporary Pakistani Writer's latest book. And although I didn't read the entire book but a single line told me how I must abstain myself from reading the horrendous piece of literature. (No personal grudges for the writer, I have fair points to make I swear when I say horrendous.) And after reading that particular line, my mind travelled back in time to semester III when we were taught this beautiful Theory of English Literature written by Wellek and Warren. If one asks me most favourite course from the entire degree, I will, without a second, say it was this course. It changed my perspective of reading, looking, analysing and criticising a piece of literature and it has taught me more than the entire courses together. So back to the story now. One of the main points that W&W made in their book was that Literature influences people. Yes, it does. There are many books from which I learned several things, discarded many old habits of mine and adopted new ones as per the book's words. And that is why here I am writing about the chunk representative of the whole in literature. Another point that these two mentioned in their book was that when a chunk is separated from the whole, it must stand alone while representing the whole as well. It should be something that will be part of a chain, connected piece by piece to form a single coherent piece. Now keeping these two things; that literature influences people and a chunk must represent a whole, I must start relating it to that WhatsApp story. The writer had written something that I interpreted as "We must suffer in Silence because when you cannot keep your secrets God will not let you have the secrets of others.” First of all, grief and secrets are two separate things. Grief is to be shared, secrets, maybe not so much. And I think the writer’s line of grief and secret is blurred so I must make the difference clear. Someone losing their beloved pet is grief and them killing someone is a secret. You can choose to hide the secret that you killed someone (worst example but I cannot think of any other secret) But it is important for you to tell someone you lost your pet. That, the pet you had for the past ten or so years is now dead and you need a shoulder to cry on. This is grief and not a secret which you must not tell everyone or even cry to it because if you do so, you will become a “useless person” (again the author said this okay not me.)

Now imagine, a person, who already has trouble opening up to people. And by people I mean they don't open up to anyone, they make themselves a bottle that keeps saving poison and never letting it out. It sometimes get so full that it explodes but the consequences of it are also not told to anyone. If that kind of person, who is always asked by their friends to open up to anyone, someone, so that they would not suffer alone, so that they can get fresh air by letting it all out, reads authors like these what would they do? Their first reaction to it will be something along these lines "So yes, I was ways right, I must always keep my lips shut and never spill any secrets." And then as they will read along, they will cement this idea in their mind so strongly that no one will ever be able to get them to open up. This also gives rise to the question whether literature must always teach something? For me, literature not teaching something still teaches something. Just like a teacher not teaching the subject in one class still teaches something that you or I cannot sum up in words. The conversation will teach you something, even the silence will teach you something. This is what literature does in my opinion.

But teaching something that will affect the readers negatively is a sin. Yes, a sin. When you know that the generation of this country is already fighting so many troubling battles that they need assistance in you are carelessly writing about a bunch of nonsensical stuff that is so absurd that it makes me wonder why are you a writer in the first place? With this idea of how God won’t give you the secrets of others to hold when you cannot keep yours to yourself, what exactly are you trying to do to this generation? People need at least a person in their life they can talk to. This is what humans are for? Isn’t it. And might I dare to put this idea that sometimes you cannot see clearly and thus need someone in your life to guide you along the path and how do people will do it if you are going to put these ideas in their minds?? t may be a stranger you travelled from one place to another, or simply a friend, your mother, sister, best friend, a teacher, a colleague, anyone. Please encourage people to open up to someone and not put this idea that they must keep their secrets(griefs) to themselves.