In Chapter Five of How to Read Like a Professor, Thomas Foster’s purpose is to note how all stories ultimately relate with one another. Recurrences and patterns may be hard to notice at first, but once the reader has given the book enough thought and analyzing process, then these similarities are easier to spot. One example Foster brings up is Going After Cacciato written in 1978. Because the author, Tim O’Brien, is aware of his references to different authors, he uses shifting narrative forms to differentiate the reference to the actual plotline (Foster). In the novel, the protagonist’s mind often flashes back to also signal the narrative change.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor for Kids Correlations to Eragon Literature in all forms can be connected with each other. No matter the type, genre, or author all stories have underlying meanings that can be linked with another. These connections can be categorized and applied to all varieties of written composition. In Thomas C. Foster’s book How to Read Literature Like a Professor for Kids, he dictates various aspects that can be found in pieces of literature. There are many instances from Christopher Paolini’s bestselling novel, Eragon, that correlate with Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor for Kids; the most prominent of these occurrences are coincident with chapters fourteen: “Marked for Greatness”, sixteen: “It’s Never Just Heart Disease… and Rarely Just Illness”, and eleven: “Is That a Symbol?”.
In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster claims that all literature stems from other literature and in fact all literature is a part of one large work. A large amount of authors borrow ideas from other literary works. Of course, the seemingly most obvious author to borrow from being William Shakespeare. On the contrary, Foster believes that most of the exceptional Shakespeare quotes are overused and referencing Shakespeare can lead to something which Foster calls the “high brow” effect which means that referring to Shakespeare can make the author seem pompous. Other authors and literary works can be borrowed from as well, but many are not as widely known or are well-known now but won’t be for long.
In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster teaches readers the meanings behind commonly used symbols, themes, and motifs. Many readers of all ages use this book as a guide to understanding messages and deeper meanings hidden in novels. The deeper literary meanings of various symbols in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are explained in How to Read Literature Like a Professor. By using Foster’s book, readers can better understand the symbols in The Handmaid’s Tale. In Atwood’s novel, symbolisms of sex, flowers, and color add to the development of the novel and the deeper meaning of the plot.
Fitzgerald uses many of the hidden truths explained by Foster to create greater effect and meaning. First, in chapter 10 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster describes how weather always means something more in literature when he explains, “Weather is never just weather. It’s never just rain” (Foster 75). In The Great Gatsby, the day
Reflection How to Read Literature like a Professor was definitely a ‘thought provoking read’ like the table at Barnes & Noble said. Although at first, I have to admit that Foster’s writing had bored me a bit, until I realized fact that I had subconsciously been thinking about what certain items symbolize and how they were important to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the work; Foster’s book is truly “A lively and entertaining guide to reading between the lines.” I liked the references Foster constantly gave to novels and movies, that helped me with visualizing what kind of ideas he was talking about, since I personally learn better through visualizations. Finding out about the classic fairy tales becoming modern ones, surprised me a bit;
For one, like in the first passage I read, this author ignores typical grammar rules and chooses to write in a style that is distinctly Southern. However, unlike the first except, which only used such a style for the dialogue of only one person, this excerpt uses this style consistently throughout, which is significant. Although this could merely be a stylistic choice from the author, I personally feel that this was simply the way that the author talked in every day conversation and didn’t feel the need to change it when writing this passage. This suggests that the author wasn’t very well-educated, which in turn shows how the Federal Writers’ Project published the works of a wide variety of people from different lifestyles and backgrounds. Although the style of this excerpt is important, the content itself is also important.
As a prolific twentieth century American writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s thoughts on literature are authoritative and influential. When he stated: “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings and that you are not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong,” he characterizes writing as a means of connecting two human beings through written words, asserting that a desire for a connection with others is something that we all share on a fundamental level. Moreover, Fitzgerald suggests that writing and reading literature constitutes a community by bringing people together around this common desire for a connection with others.
Behind each movie lie the meaningful aspects and significant features worth noticing. All movies and books can be carefully examined and interpreted. Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor provides a new view on interpreting literature. In the novel, Foster identifies and analyzes common patterns, themes, and motifs found in literature, many of which are also present in Disney’s film, Maleficent. This movie showcases several of his ideas, including quests, flight, geography, and symbolism.
Arouse interest in the text through effective pre-reading discussions. This could take the form of questions about the broad thematic area, parallel situations in the life - world of the students, ethical issues etc. 3. Arouse curiosity by providing, ‘teaser previews’, inviting predictions etc., before actually engaging with the text. For example, 1st line of Kafka’s story ‘metamorphosis’.