Eastern and Western literature go back a long way. Many of the key characteristics of both writing styles are what make them what they are today. Eastern literature was represented in many of the passages we read during the lessons, one of the most important being The Red Lotus of Chastity. This piece originated in 11th century India. Many key features can be found in this piece that identifies it as Eastern literature, such as the use of Hinduism throughout the piece. The religion of Hinduism originates in the eastern area and is currently practiced there. This religion is supported and used in The Red Lotus of Chastity, as seen in the quote “Then he went to a temple and took a vow of fasting. “Let God in this temple show me a way out,” he thought. Devasmita came and took the same vow. God Shiva appeared to both of them in a dream. (Page 947) Siva is a Hindu deity and is considered one of the three most influential denominations in Hinduism. The mention of this deity in this piece forms a strong link between it and the Eastern community. Another characteristic that The Red Lotus of Chastity possesses is the mention of reincarnation. This is a very strong belief in Eastern culture. This is seen in the quote “Oh, my daughter, go and look out for your dog; he is crying. Just now she recognized me from a previous life, when we knew each other, and burst into tears. Pity moved me to cry with her” (page 949). Another passage that comes from the eastern side is The Quran. This piece, written in 633 AD in the city of Medina, shows many connections with Eastern literature. One of these connections is that it strongly promotes the reign of good over evil. Eastern literature tends to revolve around...... the center of the paper....... Another characteristic of Western literature is represented in the piece Beowulf, written between the year 850 and the year 1000. This piece shows the characteristics of Western literature as it speaks and uses Christianity, a religion in revolt in the Western region at the time. While many other Western pieces use Greek gods, which is another characteristic of Western literature, this piece is unique in that it uses a Christian god, connecting it to the Western side. This religion is used throughout the story, as Beowulf mentions God as his protector in multiple accounts. Characteristics define a characteristic or quality belonging to a certain being or object. Both Eastern and Western literature possess many key characteristics that make their writing so unique. Without these characteristics, they would not be the high caliber writings they are regarded today.