How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Introduction: How'd He Do That?
How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature?
These three aspects affect the way we look at any piece of literature. We are able to recall past readings in order to understand an author’s intentions or a deeper meaning. Patterns allow us to gain a greater sense of the plot and fully understand extensive/multiple details in literature by relating it to past pieces.
Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work you read was enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern. Give specific detail. This can be a short story or novel you have read.
In, “The Youth and Young Love of Oliver Wade: Stories” the author employs the patterns of actual life. The entire novel is centered around growing up, and therefore allows the readers to relate back to his/her own life or to other’s lives in which they identify qualities similar to the main character. Personally, I noticed patterns in the story that matched my own life. I was able to relate to the piece below the superficial text, and went as far as to contact the author and display my appreciation for his truth and art.
Chapter 1 — Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and explain them.
1. A Quester- The Character who goes on the quest.
2. A Place to Go- A location that the quester is asked to go to.
3. A Stated Reason to go There- A character gives the quester a challenge or need.
4. Challenges & Trials En Route- Things that happen along the way that shapes quester.
5. A Real Reason to go There- The quester may perform another duty will teach a lesson.
Chapter 2 — Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Why does Foster assert that a meal scene is literature is almost always symbolic?
Generally, having a meal together is a sign of peace in all parts of the world, which may show hospitable relations between characters. Besides, meals are extremely hard to plan or even make interesting. This sit down shows the literal and metaphorical breaking of bread, or to share one’s sustenance willingly.
List the things, according to Foster, that eating in literature can represent.
1. Comradeship
2. Break down social barriers
3. Making Peace
Choose a meal from a literary work you have already read and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.
In August Osage County, there are multiple meals shared in the script (or on stage). To commit to sharing food on stage, there must be a valuable reason for each instance. In the play, the first time a meal is shared, there is a sense of communion while the family is reuniting for the first time in many years. Another instance shows a sense of the true relationship as the mother is viciously attacked for her drug use. In the closing scenes, the mother is left with none other than her two daughters, once again displaying the rest of the family had turned hostile towards her and no longer desired to “break bread.”
Chapter 3: –Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story?
Evil
Sex
Attraction
Seduction
What are some things besides vampirism that vampires and ghosts represent in literature?
Selfishness
Exploitation
Refusal to respect other’s autonomy
Neglect
Chapter 4 –Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality.
The ongoing interaction between poems or stories. This dialogue deepens and enriches the reading experience, bringing multiple layers of meaning to the text, some of which readers may not even consciously notice.
Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.
The Divergent Series is closely linked to the fantasy world that the Hunger Games is set in. Both series take place in a dystopian future where humans are divided and forced into specific occupations. The dialogue between the two pieces allow for a deeper and more realistic world for one’s mind to imagine.
The Book of David (not from the bible) allowed me to connect to many different works of literature. “The Youth and Young Loves of Oliver Wade: Stories” is a specific one where a character must discover his true identity. Both books incorporate this theme into the fabric that is the book.
In Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson”, I was introduced to mythic Greek legends and Gods. After comprehending the legends within his work of fiction, he later came out with stories such as, “Heroes of Olympus.” After reading his first Greek mythology piece of fiction, I was able to easily reconnect with legends he integrated within his new literature.
Chapter 5 — When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare…
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically.
The Fault in Our Stars can be connected in several ways to Romeo and Juliet. Although there is no hostility between the star-crossed lover’s families, many other themes are present. Death, tragedy, and innocent, forbidden love all play a pivotal role within the piece. Hazel and Augustus are young, innocent, and very much in love much like Romeo and Juliet. Hazel is supposedly doomed from the beginning to suffer a harsh untimely death, which forbids the two from loving each other unconditionally. This can be related to Romeo and Juliet being denied total commitment due to their family’s hostility. Finally, the story takes a turn for the worst when Augustus is, in fact, the one to lose his life instead of Hazel. This can be linked to Romeo being the first to take his life after believing a tragedy had befallen his Juliet. All in all, both pieces end in a tragedy, their love fading into death.
Be sure to read the Shakespearean quotes on p. 35-36.
Discuss T.S. Eliot and Hamlet.
In, “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S. Eliot employs intertextuality by integrating a reference to Hamlet to show his lack of skill or talent. He also says, “(This is) an age of hapless ditherers.” This once more relates back to Hamlet who is also a hapless dither. Through all of this, Eliot is able to describe and create a concrete foundation for his main character by using intertextuality to relate his characteristics to a very reputable and well known piece.
Read pages 39-41 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.
Theme tends to be the main subject an author centers their story around. Fugard has reflected upon a work that many people know, or at least understand the man who wrote the piece. They are able to focus on the true meaning of the literature through the use of intertextuality.
Chapter 6 — …Or the Bible
What do Biblical allusions do for a piece of literature?
They allow examples or context that anyone from around the world can notice and relate to. Many people know the generic stories from the bible and are able to understand an author’s meaning behind a biblical allusion. Stories such as Adam and Eve, or the Fall of Man are known by most readers in the world. Because of this, authors can easily elude or incorporate the actual stories into their works.
Chapter 7 — Hanseldee and Greteldum
What is the literary canon?
The literary canon is the continuous story that has been going on forever and will continue to go on. It’s the thread that is weaved into every story ever written as author’s borrow from old tales to create new ones.
Why do so many writers choose to allude to fairy tales in their works?
Most people are well acquainted with fairy tales and their themes or lessons. Authors use this to their advantage and incorporate their themes in order to create a sense of familiarity for the reader.
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?
In both Harry Potter and Cinderella, the main character is viciously mistreated and locked away. Harry Potter is locked away under the stairs, whilst Cinderella is thrown in the attic. Both of the characters must perform chores and be at the call of their family. They go through trials in order to achieve the status they were meant to have. Ultimately, they rise above their families and become important beyond imaginable.
Chapter 9 — It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
Foster says “weather is never just weather.” What are some things rain can represent in literature? Do you remember reading “The Scarlet Ibis” in 9th grade? Find it on the downloads section of my website. Go back and read that very fine short story and look at what weather tells you. Mark it up.
Most times when author use rain, they are often alluding to the cleansing or rebirth of a character. Rain “washes away sins” and allows for the character to begin anew.
Tell what each of the following represents in literature:
Rainbow- Rainbows suggest exactly what God promised Noah, peace between Earth and Heaven. It is used to symbolize a trusting, peaceful promise has been made or introduced.
Fog- Fog suggests that people are confused or unsure of what to do in their current situation.
Snow- Snow can mean many things such as, clean severe, inhospitable, inviting, and even dirty.
Chapter 11 –…More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
What are the implications of violence in literature?
Generally, violence in literature always means more than the superficial act. It is considered a very “intimate act” between humans and implies some sort of metaphor, symbol, theme, etc.
What are the two categories of violence in literature? Define and describe each.
Actual violence is the act of physical contact. It shows or suggests that the character has an issue with another being within their life or that are having a uncaring relationship with a piece of their world.
Authorial Violence, or violence due to the author. This includes both death and suffering that the writer is solely responsible for in order to make a point, explain a theme, or advance the story.
What are the four reasons that authors kill off characters in literature?
To unsettle other characters or cause them stress.
To advance the plot.
To thicken said plot.
End the plot or current situation.
What questions should readers ask themselves when they encounter an act of violence or a death scene in a piece of literature?
“What does this type of misfortune represent thematically?” (Foster 103)
“That famous or mythic death does this one resemble?” (Foster 103)
“Why this sort of violence and not some other?” (Foster 103)
Chapter 12 — Is That a Symbol?
What is the difference between symbolism and allegory?
Symbols can mean many different things for many different people, while allegories tend to stand for one thing in particular.
What are the tools we must use to figure out what a symbol might mean?
Ask questions
Use Experience
Preexisting Knowledge
Why is symbolic meaning different for each individual reader? What are some of the factors that influence what we understand in our reading?
Symbols already can have a multitude of meanings, and can vary even further based off the reader’s personal experience and knowledge. Experience is a huge factor that contributes to how a reader may understand a symbol. More experience equates to even more possible meanings.
What are the questions readers should ask of the text when trying to determine symbolic meaning?
The reader should be asking why specifically the author chose to include that symbol in order to further understand what he is trying to allude to.
Chapter 13 — It's All Political
Discuss Foster’s premise that “it’s all political.” What does he mean?
When referring to this term, Foster is implying that there are books written that focus on the political issues going on at the current time of their publication. This is usually a tactic used to influence the thoughts of society on a political issue.
Chapter 14 — Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too
List the 18 features that Foster asserts make Christ who he is. You don’t need to discuss them, just list them.
crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head
in agony
self-sacrificing
good with children
good with loaves, fishes, water, wine
thirty-three years of age when last seen
employed as a carpenter
known to use humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred
believed to have walked on water
often portrayed with arms outstretched
known to have spent time alone in the wilderness
believed to have had a confrontation with the devil, possible tempted
last seen in the company of thieves
creator of many aphorisms and parables
buried, but arose on the third day
had disciples, twelve at first, although not all equally devoted
very forgiving
came to redeem an unworthy world
List the attributes that might make a character a Christ figure
This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film — for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.
Thirty-three years’ old
Unmarried, preferably celibate
Wounded or marked in the hands, feet, or side (crown of thorns extra credit)
Sacrificing yourself in some way for others (your life is best, and your sacrifice doesn’t have to be willing)
In some sort of wilderness, tempted there, accosted by the devil
Chapter 15 — Flights of Fancy
If you come across a person suspended in the air, he or she is one or more of what? List Foster’s possibilities.
A superhero
A ski jumper
Crazy
Fictional
A circus act, departing a cannon
Suspended on wires
An angel
Heavily symbolic
So, what is flight really about?
Flight is generally about freedom in literature. It is the equivalent of being able to leave the restraints of gravity and to shake off your shackles of your current state of imprisonment. Those who fly have been confined mentally, socially, or physically and struggle to reach a state of freedom that does not include any restraints.
Chapter 16 — It's All About Sex…
Who does Foster accuse of teaching writers to encode sexual messages in their writing and of teaching readers to decode sexual messages in literature?
Freud was the first to fully begin encoding sex into literature by use of allusions. He taught writers like D. H. Lawrence, who tries to imply homosexuality between two male character without fully stating it or creating the act of physical sex. He also includes an allusion to the fulfillment that masturbation creates.
What are some things that can represent male sexuality in literature?
Tall buildings
Rolling Landscapes
Keys
Horses
What are some things that can represent female sexuality in literature?
Stairs
Bowls
Seashores
Chapter 17 — …Except the Sex
Foster writes “When they’re writing about other things, they really mean sex, and when they write about sex, they really mean something else” (152). What are some of the other things sex can mean?
Sex s very symbolic and can be a list of things.
Pleasure
Sacrifice
Submission
Rebellion
Resignation
Supplication
Domination
Enlightenment
Chapter 18 — If She Comes Up, It's Baptism
What are some of the things that baptism (or immersion in water) can mean in literature?
Baptism in literature tends to depict literal rebirth, or cleansing of the character. It can allow the character to become his or her true from. It essentially allows the character to learn the lessons the author is forcing upon them.
What are some of the things drowning can mean?
Generally, when a character is drowning, it can allude to devastation, an end to failure, escape, or violence. It also adds to the symbols of a plot such as guilt or failure a character may have been experiencing. Drowning is a fatal way of dying, and displays the struggle the character might have been having postmortem.
Chapter 19 — Geography Matters…
What are some of the roles geography plays in literature and what are some of the effects of geography in literature?
Geography in literature has a lot to do with how the character interacts with the environment around them. “Literary geography is typically about humans inhabiting spaces, and at the same time the spaces inhabiting humans.” (Foster 173-174) It can add to theme, plot, and symbolism.
What does it mean when an author sends a character south?
If the character is interacting with their subconscious, authors generally send the characters south in order to run amok. To interact with your subconscious, is to ultimately be frantic and crazy. The direction South is generally associated with being frantic or all over the place.
How can a writer’s personal geography inform his/her work?
An author’s personal geography can sometimes influence the very geography their piece of literature is set in. Authors tend to write what they know about, and their personal geography may even affect the theme or plot of their story.
Chapter 20 — …So Does Season
What are the symbolic meanings of the seasons?
Summer-liberation/freedom
Spring-rebirth
Winter-death
Chapter 21 — Marked for Greatness
For what reasons do authors give characters deformities, scars or other physical markings in literature?
Physical markings may allude to any physiological issues affecting the character. The author may also include such deformities to make a thematic point or advance/develop the plot. This adds to the depth of the characters/plot and ultimately displays flaws inside of the character in a physical form.
Chapter 22—He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know
For what reasons do authors choose to make characters blind?
Blindness tends to, “emphasize other levels of sight and blindness beyond the physical.” (Foster 210) This allows for the character to focus on their feelings, ethics or spiritual being. Blind characters are allowed more insight into themselves than those with sight.
Chapter 23 — It's Never Just Heart Disease…And Rarely Just Illness
What things can “heart trouble” signify in literature?
Heart disease symbolizes:
Bad Love
Loneliness
Cruelty
Pederasty
Disloyalty
Cowardice
Lack of Determination
Chapter 24—Don’t Read with Your Eyes
What does Foster mean when he admonishes, “don’t read with your eyes?” (234)’ Explain.
As readers, we tend to read with the perspective of our present day. Here, Foster is urging us to identify and understand the historical context that the literature takes place in. Words and ideals have been shaped throughout time, so to fully understand a piece, we must understand what the world looked/acted like at the time of the piece.
Read “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. You can find a pdf on my website under downloads. Print a copy of the story. Think about it. Mark it up. Keep it to put into your English folder when you come to class.
Chapter 25—It’s My Symbol and I’ll Cry If I Want To
So, summarize what Foster tells us in this chapter.
Within this chapter, Foster points out readers rely on literary libraries in our minds when it comes to reading new things. Sometimes, we must remember that and simply read above the surface when looking for meaning below it. If we can identify repetitive symbols, we tend to notice things beyond the text more easily. Private symbols are much harder to identify and requires us to look further for the primary meaning of the text.
Chapter 26 — Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
What trumps everything? Write the entire sentence Foster gives you in bold.
NOW HEAR THIS: irony trumps everything.
What does this mean?
Symbolism, themes, and plots are all discarded or changed when any type of irony is present in a piece. Irony in itself sets new ground rules for the literature and can twist any of those three things to the author’s preference.
On page 256, what does Foster say irony chiefly involves?
A deflection of expectation. We expect characters to take roads they were meant to travel on or we assume people under stress tend to have graying hair, not gold. It tends to be the exact opposite of societal expectation that can twist the plot or provide comic relief.
Define verbal irony. Explain.
Verbal irony forms the bases of irony. It is the act of someone who, “doesn’t know that he doesn’t know.” (Frye 257) Characters may verbally ridicule another character who is unaware he is even being ridiculed, while taking his words quite seriously. The readers understand the actual conversation and can identify the irony.
Define situational irony and explain.
In situational irony, nobody is aware of the coming irony except for the author. The type of irony tends to happens based on circumstances and can twist the entire plot, including the ending. This is the case when a traveler may stray from the path, or a stressed widow’s hair turns gold instead of gray.
Define dramatic irony. Explain.
While dramatic irony is employed, everyone tends to know the true situation, while the main character is left in the dark. They are the “alazon” within dramatic irony. This type of irony tends to advance the plot specifically for the main character.
Chapter 27—A Test Case
Read the short story and Foster’s explanations. How did you do on your own? Get ready, this is the type of analysis you’ll be doing next year in AP Lit and Comp.
Postlude—Who’s in Charge Here?
So what does Foster say is the troubling question, or rather two questions, of literature? (296).
“Can we ever be certain that our reading is correct, and if so, how?” (Foster 296)
“Who’s in charge here?” (Foster 296)
What does Foster mean by “Own the books you read?”
Never abandon your viewpoints on pieces of literature. It is as unique as you are. Don’t allow others to control your opinions. You can listen to what they have to say, but stand your ground in your very own opinions and never be ashamed.