Summary Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor By David Foster
Madison Rogers Honors English 10 McLellan 20 August 2017 How to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapter one relays the fact that most common version of a quest involves a knight, a dangerous path, a Holy Grail, a dragon, an evil knight, and a princess. Foster narrows these perceptions in more general terms; a quest consists of a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenge and trials en route, and a real reason to go there. Foster specifies that the soul reason (self-knowledge) for the quest never involves the stated reason. It is also important to know that quest are educational which is why so often the questers are young, inexperienced, immature, and/or sheltered. In this chapter, Foster explains the literary significance …show more content…
In this chapter, foster discusses a type of form called a Sonnet; which is simply 14 lines long and written almost always in iambic pentameter. Sonnets often take the shape of a square (since the height is the same length as the width). The shape makes them easier to recognize as sonnets since sonnets has few qualities that characterize them. Sonnets can be broken down into two types, a Petrarchan sonnet and a Shakespearean sonnet. Petrarchan sonnets uses a rhyme scheme that ties the first eight(abbaabba or abbacddc and sometimes abababab) , then is followed by a different rhyme scheme that unifies the last six(xyzxyz or xyxyxy). A Shakespearean sonnet divides into 3 quatrains and a couplet (which rhymes abab cdcd efef gg). In Chapter five, Foster is quick to point out that there is no wholly original work of literature because, after all, you cannot create a story in a vacuum. Literature grows upon literature and stories grow out of other stories. He goes on to explain that intertextuality is the correlation and dialogue between stories in literature. The ability to recognize recurrences in literary work allows the reader to further understand the depth and richness of a
'How To Read Literature Like A Professor' By Thomas C. Foster
762 Words | 4 PagesHe starts with the example of Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ intentionally to make mention of the Faustian bargain as a pattern, and to emphasize the distinction between the professor and student. Then, he connects these distinctions with one of the main points, conventions. He also digresses and then successfully comes back to the main point to explain how is ‘the grammar of the essay’ works. Using these apparatuses in his own writing enables reader to both learn the definitions of these conventions and study how they are applied in a literary text. Stating this conventions as arbitrary, Foster focuses on their usage and
Review Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor By Thomas Foster
677 Words | 3 PagesFoster's intended audience were college students or older people who returned to for an English major. As a matter of fact, two of the most interesting chapters are ... Or the Bible and A Test Case because they captured the eye of the reader seeing as one can detect the allusions to the bible in their previous reading and sympathize
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Chapter 1 Summary
1102 Words | 5 PagesMercedes Blanchard Mrs. Mary Smith AP Literature 20 September 2017 After reading and discussing How to Read Literature like a Professor, some of the many literary techniques Foster emphasized was Characters and their meaning, symbolism, and deformity. These three techniques really inspired me and pointed out certain characteristics and “clues” of the story that I otherwise would not have discovered previously. As I continued to read the book, I was compelled and even bewildered at the thought that I have missed so many hidden meanings in iconic works of writing. I came to the conclusion that literature is really a giant mystery and we readers are really just detectives trying to solve it. To begin, Chapter 10 goes into depth on the types
Review Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor By Thomas C. Foster
1910 Words | 8 PagesIn the introduction of Thomas C. Foster’s book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, Foster explains how professors think differently while being compared to beginning readers. He says that professors think symbolically and that “Everything is a symbol... until proven otherwise.” What Foster means by symbolism is seeing things “as existing in themselves while simultaneously also representing something else.” That means you have to think further than just what the author says and take it out of the book. Foster also brings up that beginning readers are usually overwhelmed by all the detail put into a book.
How To Read Literature Like A Professor By Thomas C. Foster
924 Words | 4 PagesJustin Clinkscales Mrs. Mary Smith AP-EngLit 19 September 2017 How to Read Literature Like a Professor How to Read Literature Like a Professor, is a novel written by Thomas C. Foster for the sole purpose of Literary criticism. Foster covers a whole slew of literary devices, most notably symbolism, themes, motifs and tone. This novel is very much the breaking down of the blueprint that literature had taken on much earlier on in its existence, the novel contains many allusions towards Shakespeare, Greek Mythology, and even the Bible. As the title of the novel would suggest, it is essentially a deeper insight into reading and interpreting modern and classic literature like a professor. This novel is one that definitely develops
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.
Summary Of How To Read Literature Like A Professor For Kids By Thomas Foster
243 Words | 1 PagesAs Stated by the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor For Kids, by Thomas Foster, authors use certain varieties of weather conditions in order to set a mood in the story that’s relevant to the scenario present. Foster explains this action as saying, “But an author doesn't have a quick shower of rain, or a flurry or snow, or a flood or a blizzard, for no reason at all (Foster, 59).” What the author is trying to remark is that authors don't put unnecessary weather unless it contributes to the plot or the mood, sometimes even using it as means of ivory. One example of weather being used in the movie clip from Toy Story is rain. The rain didn't start until Sid was just about the release a rocket outside with Buzz attached, which
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.
Read Literature Like A Professor
1553 Words | 7 PagesHow to Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster is a guide to the aspiring advanced literature reader on how to analyze and understand works of literature through the eyes of an individual trained in the specialty. It aims to provide different techniques of delving in to literature in attempt to find deeper meaning within the book. After reading this book, the reader should be able to read a novel and find topics discussed in the book, and then using their knowledge find hidden meanings that add to the underlying theme of the book. In the context of the Lord of the Flies, there are many instances where the ideas discussed in Foster’s book can be found in the novel. The weather, baptism and a Christ Figure are all themes described
How To Read Literature Like A Professor Chapter Analysis
1167 Words | 5 PagesFinally, the real reason is to find her self-knowledge or how she can rely on herself. Foster shows that this novel satisfies the five literary elements and the setup of “someone going somewhere and doing something, especially if the going and the doing wasn’t his idea in the first place” (Foster 6). Throughout first chapter, Foster claimed that a quest consist five elements, but he soon says “Always’ and ‘never’ are not words that have much meaning in literary study” (Foster
How To Read Literature Like An English Professor Analysis
751 Words | 4 PagesChapter 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?
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.
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