“Literature” comes from Latin, and it originally meant “the use of letters” or “writing.” But when the word entered the Romance languages that derived from Latin, it took on the additional meaning of “knowledge acquired from reading or studying books.” So we might use this definition to understand “Literature with a Capital L” as writing that gives us knowledge–writing that should be studied.

Knowledge and intellect is legit in the literature definition?

So essentially literature can’t be “gate keeping” it is what it is. It’s just do you want to study it and gain knowledge / intellect - or nah?