In her report titled “Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer,” journalist Annie Murphy Paul claims that the experiences and mental capacities developed when one engages in deep reading, such as reading a novel, versus reading online are different. Murphy asserts that deep reading, such as reading fictional books, makes us socially and morally better. She presents evidence based on research in the field of cognitive science that concludes that deep reading, through its use of vivid details and elaborate plots, allows readers to be more empathetic to others and more understanding. Therefore, this essay will explore the differences and similarities between deep reading versus reading online, whether or not reading can make us smarter or …show more content…
I tend to read online simply to gather facts or information. In contrast, I read books for enjoyment and to engage myself mentally. I agree that you can get some enjoyment from reading both novels and online; however, deep reading books tends to build a deeper, more intimate connection with my mind and is more thought provoking. I believe that both reading traditional novels and reading online can make us smarter but not necessarily nicer. Through reading we are able to gain knowledge about anything and apply this knowledge in reality. We can enlighten ourselves with information but without it we are stuck in dark. In regards to whether reading makes us nicer, I do not think there is a way to prove that because a person’s morals have a lot to do with their upbringing and personality. Based on the information previously stated, most educators would more like be a proponent of deep reading as opposed to reading online because deep reading is more thought provoking, there are less distractions, and deep reading allows us to use are imagination more through its use of details and metaphors. In conclusion, both deep reading and online reading can make us smarter but the experiences and mental capacities developed from
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster offers a variety of different ways to analyze literature so the reader can understand all levels of a literary piece to get the most out of their reading. His ideas can be applied to almost any kind of work, including movies, such as Beauty and the Beast. The chapters of HTRLLAP that can best interpret and explicate all levels of meaning in Beauty and the Beast are: Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not); …More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence; and Is That a Symbol? “The real reason for a quest,” states Foster, “Is always self-knowledge.
In “Reading and Thought” by Dwight Macdonald, Macdonald raises the idea of reading deeply and how our society has changed its reading style. He points out that our modern society constantly reads irrelevant information in articles, newspapers, or magazines in our daily lives. A term called “functional curiosity” is a person’s interest in being amused, entertained or wanting to know what’s happening around the world. According to Henry Luce, the creator of Time magazine, “Functional Curiosity grows as the number of educated peoples grows.” Macdonald argues that being “functionally curious” is not functional because it does not help the individual function.
In the book How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, the first chapter illustrates the elements and ideas of quests in literature. Foster starts off the chapter with a hypothetical story where an average sixteen year old boy named Kip goes to the A&P, a local super market, to buy a loaf of Wonder Bread. Along the way, Kip unpleasantly encounters a German shepherd but meets Karen, the girl of his dreams, laughing with Tony Vauxhall in his ‘68’ Cuba. Kip continues to search for the bread in the store, but he is disturbed by a marine asking him to join the Navy. The story is immediately paused, and Foster analytically explains how Kip’s trip to the A&P was actually a quest.
Chapter five of How To Read Literature Like An English Professor is about how Shakespeare is prominent in both old and current works of literature and in the media. Foster states “He’s everywhere, in every literary form you can think of. And he’s never the same: every age and every writer reinvents its own Shakespeare.” (33). So why Shakespeare?
To the untrained eye, a story could be viewed one-dimensionally; a tale might only appeal to emotion while logic is left out in the cold. Equally, logic may be forgotten while emotion is heavily focused on. However, through the use of Critical Lenses, readers can begin to see greater depth in literature. As readers find connections through Critical Lenses, they become more educated on various topics, more aware of social, political, and even logical abstractions. Instead of failing to retain the intent and content of the material, they even can remember details of stories more vividly when truly examining literature rather than reading it once for entertainment (or chore).
(Rich, Literacy Debate, The New York Times). Reading books seems to be a thing of the past, thus thrusting online reading into the future and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I do research every day and, quite frankly, about ninety percent (90%) of the things
Behind each movie lies 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.
How to Read Literature Like a professor chapter1 In the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a professor author Thomas C. Foster discusses how almost every story has some type of quest, the title of chapter is “ Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)” he clearly alludes to the fact that the chapter is about the quest aspect of a story and its significance. As the chapter developed Foster began to cover the essentials of a quest and the purpose behind a quest, according to him there are five significant aspects of a quest “(a) a quester, (b) a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e) a real reason to go there. He then expands of each of these things.
In Frye’s The Educated Imagination, the audience is introduced to the topic, why one should educate their imagination. Frye begins by informing the reader that the imagination is made of intellect and emotions. A person who lacks these two areas is unable to think and feel. While, a person who is educated in these areas is morally just and socially informed allowing him to view the world in a different perspective. Members in society constantly use their imagination so it is of utmost importance to educate your imagination so you may express yourself, use your imagination to create your own ideas, and finally to appreciate the study of literature.
Reading and writing influence the way that I interact with the world. I learn new things from reading and writing, which in turn help me communicate with others because I am learning new facts and skills. My relationship with literacy is a very close one. It's helped me in many areas of my life, such as being more social. Without literacy in my life, I don't know what I'd do.
“ fiction helps us understand how other people feel and think.” (“The power of reading: how books help develop children’s empathy and boost their emotional development”). The estimation of the statement is that it has a solid importance about how fiction books help kids. The essentialness of this statement is that books, for example, fiction enables children to see how individuals feel as well as think. Books are a gateway
This outlook is reflected in national surveys, the number of literary non-readers in the United States is starting to outweigh the number of readers and, this has slowly been proceeding over the past 20 years (Gioia 421). Reading is a fundamental part of life. It’s a major way of expression, imagination, learning and being the best person
Science has proven that reading can provoke positive changes in us as human beings. Annie Murphy Paul is the author of the article ‘Your Brain on Fiction’ published on March 17, 2012. Annie explains how researchers have discovered that reading can initiate different parts of the brain, this is the reason why sometimes literature can make the reader so engaged and attached to a piece of writing. Research also explains how reading has the ability to produce activity in our brain’s motor cortex. Finally, Annie explains how reading fictional pieces can change how you interact with other individuals.
In a society where children are bombarded with electronics and technology, it can be challenging to convince them to sit down and either read or listen to a story. Reading and hearing stories helps to spark children’s imaginations and dreams. For some children, bedtime stories are not only special for the heroes or princesses they feature, but also for the scheduled time they get to spend one on one with their parent or guardian. In order for children to learn to enjoy reading they must be able to have a choice in what they are able to read. This is something that is taught to them from a young age, whether they are picking a bedtime story or a novel to read at school, it must be something that interests them.
It is like this that books expand our knowledge, conception and consciousness of the world around us. You may say that nowadays there are other ways to do that, like the TV or Google, but books allow you to experience the same story form your own perspective, values, ideas and from your own feelings. Through reading, you introduce yourself to new things, new information, and even new ways to solve a problem. Secondly, reading helps us to