The Clash of Difference in the Class of Literature: Horizontality and Criticality in Reading Literary Texts

The differences among individuals and social groups in cultural backgrounds, ideologies, skin pigmentations, gender, confessional ideologies, social standards and values create the oppositional binary the self and the other. The perception of oneself in the massively diverse human constellation is complex mainly with the immense political, economic and social changes in the 21st century. These changes and differences are essential variables in the teaching of literature in EFL pedagogical situations where students' perception of literary texts is remarkably different and thus their construction of meaning is laden with different cultural connotations. Therefore, the introduction of critical approaches in teaching/learning literature is paramount to raise students' awareness of the self vis-à-vis the other. The recognition of difference results into a horizontal reading of literary texts.