To Comfort or to Confront? The Great Saturday Debate
II MA English Class | #todayinclass #classactivity
29th August 2026
Today being a Saturday, the II MA English class was all geared up for their customary debate – a habituated weekend activity for the vibrant class.
Well, before we start out on a debate in class, I usually orient or rather re-orient them to the essentials of a good debate. In that vein, today, yet again, I reiterated to the class, on how a person’s arguments, should not tie to their personal identity!
‘Attack the argument, not the person’ is the mantra! 😊
Moreover, in a ‘timed’ or ‘time-bound’ debate, students are aware of the restrictions of time, and hence learn to put their ideas into a nutshell, and present them in such clear, impactful, and persuasive rhetoric.
Today’s debate had all the essentials of a lovely, lively interactive and engaging exercise, where each and every student spoke out their thoughts loud and clear.
So happy that every student got the chance to put across their own arguments in such a persuasive and convincing manner.
Time-keeper for today’s debate: Ms. Preethi
Official Photographer: Ms. Samitha
Group Leader for Team ‘Transformers’ - Ms. Swarna Rekha
Group Leader for Team ‘Escapists’ - Ms. Jothika
The topic for today’s debate -
What is the Purpose of Art? To Comfort or to Confront?
So happy to note that, the team had equal representations on both sides.
‘The Escapists’ won the toss, and asked their opponents – The Transformers - to open the first attack!
Then, before we went headlong into the debate, I outlined the debate prompt –
It is commonly acknowledged by literary souls far and wide, that, the primary function of literature and art in times of crisis should be to provide aesthetic comfort and emotional relief, rather than to provoke moral or spiritual questioning.
On the other hand, there are literarians who strongly believe that, art must confront difficult truths. Literature should challenge the reader, induce spiritual crisis, and force moral growth, even if that process is deeply uncomfortable or agonising.
So what then is the Purpose of Art? To Comfort or to Confront?
With these introductory debate prompts, the floor started out to give their arguments and their defences.
Aarthi began a spirited defence for the Transformers’, stating that, unless literature interrogates the maladies and social evils, there cannot be a transformation in society, and hence, the essence and purpose of literature is to inspect and to interrogate the status quo in society.
Joel, for the Escapists side, said that, ‘We come to the comforting power of good literature during our tough times, and it helps us overcome our tough times. As such, the main aim of literature is to comfort.
Rangineetha speaking for the ‘Transformers’, citing Lee Maracle, spoke of how her stories highlight the effects of colonialism and genocide on the physical, cultural, and spiritual well-being of Indigenous people, which helped in the transformation of the people. It is only by confronting the problems, and presenting the solutions that literature really lives out its full potential.
Lydia spoke for the ‘Escapists’, on how literature becomes therapy by helping us cope with loneliness. When we empathise with a character in a novel or in a short story, it reduces our sense of loneliness, and instantly we feel a great sense of solace, and comfort.
Preethi for the Transformers, then foregrounded the transformative power of good literature, saying that, only through a representation of the traumatic incidents of the past, like racism, sexism etc., do we come to know about the horrific pasts and the embodied experiences of the oppressed.
Jothika, for the Escapists, highlighted Philip Sidney’s views on poetry, saying that, ‘Natural world is brazen, limited and imperfect, whereas the poetic world created by the imagination is golden, rich, idealised, and superior’. In that sense, aestheticism contains within itself the ‘moral, transformative’ factors. So literature need not confront. It can remain as a ‘comforting, therapeutic’ zone forever.
Swarna, speaking for the ‘Transformers’, said that, if that comfort or therapy should be long-lasting and enduring, literature should focus on social change and transformation.
Jovita, speaking for the ‘Escapists’, said that, sometimes even when we scroll through a poem, we find that its power is so comforting or therapeutic, that we feel refreshed after reading it. That’s the comforting power of literature.
Samitha, speaking for the ‘Transformers’ quoting from the opponents, pointed out that, ‘tough times’, or ‘overcoming’ difficult situations, or ‘end-product’, itself means that literature has been ‘utilised’ for transformative purposes. Swarna added to augment the views of Samitha, saying that, ‘Too much of aestheticism in literature would be like keeping it on a showcase, with no other ‘use-value’. Hence to view literature for its aesthetic merits alone, is a passive engagement with literature!
Irene, speaking for the ‘Escapists’, highlighted the ‘happy little moments of life’ – be it as simple as the joys of viewing a sunset – they have a great therapeutic impact on us.
Jothika, disagreed with the view that, ‘To view literature for its aesthetic merits alone, is a passive engagement with literature’. Quoting from Coleridge’s concept of ‘the willing suspension of disbelief, from his 1817 Biographia Literaria, she said that, a reader or viewer temporarily puts aside logic and doubt to accept unlikely or magical things in a story for the joy of the art! Hence, viewing art as didactic means, art comes loaded with a pre-determined message. Art hence becomes propaganda!
Jesica speaking for ‘Transformers’, said that, while escapism is important, transformation is more important, as new ideas and new solutions can come up only when we challenge the existing status quo!
Nihita, speaking for the ‘Escapists’ said that, we experience something, for the sheer joy of experiencing it. It could be as simple as sipping a cup of coffee, or having a cup of our favourite ice-cream – likewise it is the felt experience that literature gives us – that matters more!
Natasha, speaking for the ‘Transformers’ said that, Literature has such immense potential. When we look upon literature as a mere comforting and therapeutic tool, we are not fully making use of its immense potential.
Joshua, speaking for the Escapists, said that, Poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. Poets hence express their raw emotions, their felt emotions, which proves to be a source of great comfort – not only for them but also for their readers. Citing his internship in May, at a famous museum, he said that, visitors were taught on how, even the very act of watching or paying attention to a work of art, could prove to be such great therapy. He also highlighted on how the ‘art’ of diary writing can be therapeutic. Art also has this power of uniting families especially during those memorable get-togethers, be it through the movies, or the music, he averred.
To be continued… (I’m running out of time now, 😊 so please excuse this abrupt end. Hope to continue it tomorrow…)
On the whole, it was a very rewarding debate in every way. For the first time, I could see students not using Geminis or ChatGPTs! Each of them spoke out their thoughts and ideas, from their hearts in such impactful ways.
And on a personal note, I feel that, the greatest takeaway from today’s session is that art refuses to be just one thing!
It is both a mirror and a hammer. It is both a shield and a sword!
It is the warm, comforting cup of coffee 😊 on a rainy day, and it is also the high-beam torchlight exposing the darkest corners of society.
And by defending these dualities in such sharp analytical ways, both the ‘Transformers’ and the ‘Escapists’ have proved beyond doubt that the ultimate function of literature is to keep us profoundly, unmistakably human! 😊
Kudos, II MA Class!
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