Literature was not born the day when a boy crying "wolf, wolf" came running out of the Neanderthal valley with a big gray wolf at his heels; literature was born on the day when a boy came crying "wolf, wolf" and there was no wolf behind him.
According to Vladimir Nabokov in his work "Lectures on Literature," literature transcends mere storytelling or the presence of real events. It encapsulates the power of imagination and the deeper truths that can be conveyed through fiction. The essence of literature lies not only in the tales of actual experiences but in the exploration of themes, emotions, and human complexities that may not have any physical basis.
Nabokov highlights a pivotal moment in the evolution of literature, suggesting that the act of invoking a narrative without the corresponding reality—the boy crying "wolf" with no wolf to be found—marks the true inception of literary art. This concept emphasizes the significance of creativity and the human capacity to derive meaning and insight from the imaginary, celebrating literature as a reflection of our inner worlds rather than a mere chronicle of external events.
