Analysis Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor
Kyle Guimarin
Mrs. Mary Smith
AP Literature
September 20, 2017
How to Read Literature like a Professor
In the novel “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” Foster gives insights on how to spot and pick up on many common literary terms such as irony and symbolism by using a very relaxing tone and referencing many common novels that most readers can identify and relate to. The novel is very educational and can leave the reader asking many questions, and by the end the reader should be reading books and literature in a very different way than they have before.
To start off, Foster uses many examples to show the reader how to pick up on the different types of irony and what it really means in a story. One example Foster uses is in the
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He starts off by saying in chapter 12 that symbolism has multiple meanings, not just one set and stone. This is simply because everyone interprets literature in different and unique ways, and each person may take an object in a story a different way than someone else. But, if something in a piece of literature only has one meaning, it is an allegory. Foster mentions “The Pilgrims Progress” in his writing. He shows that a man named Christian is trying to reach Celestial City (Heaven) and he encounters other characters in the story such as Faithful and Evangelist. These characters and the city name have one main purpose in the story, and that is to symbolize Christianity as we know it today. If you take it in another way, the story is now wrong and the meaning is gone. That is why it is considered an allegory. Foster mentions the book “The Republic” which involves in the story the locals can’t explain or describe the caves at all. The caves actually symbolize consciousness and perception, hints why they can’t explain the “caves” because everyone has their own opinions and perception on things, which is why this is one of the main examples of symbolism Foster uses. He wraps up by saying “Pay attention to what you feel about the text. It probably means something,” referring back to how everyone can symbolize something
Comparing How To Read Literature Like A Professor And The Kite Runner
181 Words | 1 PagesBy reading “How to Read Literature like a Professor” and “The Kite Runner”, the reader is aided in his or her ability to understand the true meanings behind the text. One is able to decipher how the act of coming together to eat can mean anything from a simple meal with family, to an uncomfortable situation that leads to anger or stress in an individual character. The reader is able to understand the use of rain or other weather in a novel to transform the mood and tone of scene, or understand the cleansing or destructive qualities that weather may have on the overall plot of the story. The use of illness can be transformed, as it can lead to the reader discovering veiled means behind tuberculosis, cholera, a simple cold, or even cancers such
Summary Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor By Thomas Foster
228 Words | 1 PagesIn Chapter 24 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster claims that in order to understand the meaning of a work, the reader must read and analyze the text from the perspective from which it was written. In the first section of Chapter 24 Foster states that readers, in order to fully enjoy a piece of text must not take the information presented the way it was intended. Similarly readers may miss key points of what the author is attempting to say if they analyze the text with only today's culture in mind. Furthermore characters in literature are often old enough to have some prior experiences in life to make changes in their decisions, and grow. Characters in literature tend to have some prior experiences because it allows them
How To Read Literature Like A Professor, By Thomas C. Foster
488 Words | 2 PagesIn the beginning of Chapter ¬15 of How To Read Literature Like A Professor, Thomas C. Foster first introduces the very known fact that humans cannot fly. So if a human is able to in a piece of literature, it belongs to the categories he lists later on. However, the categorization is an superficial analyzation of flying. He introduces the history of flying and how humans have strived to defied the laws of gravity forever. Foster analyzes Morrison’s Song of Solomon and explain how when Solomon flew off to Africa it is an act of returning “home” and “casting off the chains of slavery on one level”(Foster 92).
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Sparknotes
800 Words | 4 PagesThomas Foster, a professor at the University of Michigan, taught literature and writing. He was born in West Cornfield, Ohio, and living in such a small town caused him to become very associated with books. In 2003, Foster published a book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, written in second person. The book is written as a guide for readers to know the parts of nonfiction books. It teaches young readers how to include important elements into their stories.
Read Literature Like A Professor Essay
967 Words | 4 PagesIn the novel How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C Foster elucidates the significance of sharing a meal with others, and how who is included in the communion directly clarifies what type of situation is occurring, whether it be peaceful or not. It is said that whenever people eat or drink together, it is considered to be a communion. In chapter one “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion” Foster states that the most common assumption that readers make when contemplating the subject of communions is that they assume the gatherings are religious, however that is not always the case. Generally communions are situations where intimate thoughts and feelings are shared primarily because the process of eating is particularly a personal
How To Read Like A Professor Analysis
623 Words | 3 PagesThomas C. Foster’s novel How to Read Like a Professor teaches readers how to deeply analyze literary works to be able to understand deeper meanings in the work, and to be able to predict what will happen later on in the literary work. The Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire contains many of the aspects Foster goes over in this first ten chapters, which mostly include quests, referencing well-known literature, weather patterns, and the gathering for meals. According to Foster, a journey is never just a journey. It is a quest to discovering some sort of Holy Grail, whether it be an object, an idea, or self-discovery.
Examples Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor
1075 Words | 5 PagesRyan Abbott 6th Period 8/20/15 How to Read Literature Like a Professor and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are Connected a lot More than You Might Think There is only one word that ties everything together in a story: connections. That is how piece of literature is formed.
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Character Analysis
327 Words | 2 PagesIn Thomas C. Foster's How To Read Literature Like a Professor, he describes the setup of the adventure of the protagonist, dividing it into five parts: Our quester, a place to go, a stated reason to there, challenges and trials, and the real reason to go. A protagonist must experience all of these things in order to accomplish their goals and learn their lessons. In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens, the main character, must encounter these things in order to unlock the mystery of what really happened to her mother the night she was killed, in addition to learning about the passion of writing and telling stories, the dangers and foolishness of racism, and female power. Our quester, Lily, is a fourteen year old girl with a passion for writing.
Symbolism In How To Read Literature Like A Professor
643 Words | 3 PagesIn 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.
The Scarlet Letter How To Read Literature Like A Professor
863 Words | 4 PagesHow does How To Read Literature Like A Professor applies to every piece of literature? This novel is written by Thomas Foster and he gives the better understanding on many things, including patterns, symbols, and other literary devices. He helps the reader to gain knowledge on how to recognize each small detail of the story. This novel makes the connection with The Scarlet Letter and makes it easier to comprehend. The Scarlet Letter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; this novel is about Hester Prynne, who is a young and beautiful woman and committed adultery with town’s minister, Reverend Dimmesdale.
Symbolism In How To Read Literature Like A Professor
850 Words | 4 PagesIn the book How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, the author identifies and explains many different literary analysis concepts over the course of 27 chapters. In chapter twelve titled “Is That a Symbol”, Foster discusses the significance of symbols in literature and how they add depth and complexity to a story. The chapter solidifies the fact that symbols can be objects, characters, settings, or even actions that carry deeper meanings beyond their literal representation. Skipping Christmas by Josh Grisham is a Christmas novel that follows the story of the Kranks, Luther and Nora, a married couple who decide to skip the traditional festivities of Christmas and take a vacation on a cruise instead. In the novel, there are
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Literary Analysis
911 Words | 4 PagesAllegories are stories that reveal a hidden meaning. ¨Things stand for other things on a one-for-one basis (Foster 98).¨ The next technique that was used as plot device. Weather never means weather.
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Analysis
777 Words | 4 PagesBehind 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 Chapter 1 Analysis
527 Words | 3 PagesHow 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.
The Use Of Irony In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
647 Words | 3 PagesSocrates, A great philosopher of the ancient era, gave explanation to life through the use of questioning, some of which ironic, contradicting what he had previously learned so that he could further develop the truth. This function of irony to develop thought is not used solely in the philosophical world, but also in the world of literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of these authors to do so. In his novel The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne utilizes irony to build up to and to explain the truths of the intertwining mysteries of his tale. The act of explaining truth in literature can be a challenging one, and there is many variations as to how to meet this confrontation, whence we see the use of irony in Hawthorne’s text.
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