How To Read Like A Professor
Here's the space for this fun little book. So what'd you learn? Can you think of books you've read that fit his models? Did it give you new insight into something? Do you now see quests everywhere?
posted by Ms. Clapp @ 9:51 AM
69 comments
69 Comments:
So far the book is great. Reading this has made me realize that there are a lot of things readers should pay attention to while they are reading. Sometimes I do not like to read it for symbolic or moral meaning, sometimes I like to just enjoy a book, but after reading the first third of this book it seems to me that maybe I should read a book like that all the time.
I really enjoyed the part about the food and the vampire things that you should look for throughout a book. Eating is something that I didn't realize until this passed year, that was important in a book. In Ethan Frome there is a scene that my class discussed in detail between Ethan and Mattie and I now understand why Edith Wharton decided to put this scene into the book. It had to deal with a sexual thing between Ethan and Mattie.
Reading this book has made me realize there is more to just reading and enjoying a book. I am excited to finish more of the book to see how in depth one should go into reading a book.
- Lauren K. :}
Well I realize I am not supposed to leave another blog until somebody else does but I just finished another third of the book and it seems to me that no one is reading this book yet so, here goes the next blog.
Foster talks about a wide spectrum of things. He talks about the seasons, Shakespeare, geography and so on and so forth. I find it quite interesting about how much I didn't understand literature and what to think about and look for. I was always taught to look for symbols and deeper meanings, but never did I think that there are many more meanings to things in a book. Sometimes the author does do it on purpose to convey a point,but other times it just happens ironically.
Well cant wait to finish the rest of the book. I like this alot and i chose this book first so that I could look at and understand the other books that we have to read better. Maybe take a new approach to reading a book and see how I like the outcome.
- Lauren K :)
I agree with Lauren that so far, this book is very helpful and entertaining. I'm surprised at how quick and easy it is to get through. Looking for symbols and deeper meaning has always been challenging for me. Teachers can't really directly teach you how to dissect a novel and find what's under the surface, because looking for symbols relies so heavily on your personal interpretation. However, this is helpful, because it teaches you to look for certain patterns and familiar references.
An idea that is central to this guide, and that constantly resurfaces, is that everything ever written falls into "the one big story." No literature is ever really new, which makes sense, because writers (and readers) rely on what they've read before- fairy tales, myths, Shakespeare, and the bible, which all concern universal human conditions, events and emotions that most people experience at some point in their lives.
This puts an interesting new perspective on, and provides more insight into, what we've discussed in Ms. Pettit's AP class as the Writer's Duty. At the very beginning of the year, we had analyzed William Faulkner's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, which states what (he believes) every writer is obligated to do. After discussing it in class, what I got from it was that the Writer's Duty is "to use the inner conflicts of the human spirit, sometimes addressing issues that no one else wants to talk about, to create an honest piece that no one else has done before, but the audience can connect to, and reminds them of true humanity." (yea, I quoted my essay on it.)
Now according to this book, the Writer's Duty would be revised, because, technically, you really can't write a piece that no one else has written before.
I just found it interesting how Faulkner's take differed from Foster's. (Though I bet Faulkner would agree with Foster, since he's cited so many times in the book as using so many biblical references.) It's fascinating to think that every piece of literature ever written is connected, sort of like a gigantic web, and, as Foster explains it, the books seem to be having conversations with each other, taking ideas from each other and adding to them to provide readers with stories that we can all relate to.
So, I just finished the book last night, which was June 25th. I really enjoyed the book and I am actually very happy with the fact that now I will be able to figure out symbols and deeper meanings alot easier than I ever have before.
I also agree with jdubya( sorry I dont know who it is) that it is very true how Foster says that everything comes from one story. No one ever really has a unique and original work. I think this is okay because if there was a work of literature that was that unique and original I do not think that people as a whole would really be able to read and understand much of it because they would have no relation or self experience to put into the book as they read.
Another part of the book that I read when Foster talks about Heart Disease and Illnesses, I was able to to relate to and it reminded me of Ethan Frome again. When he talks about heart disease and illness it reminded me of Ethan Frome because Zeena, Ethan's wife suffers from a sickness and we as the audience later conclude that it was because she was heart broken because she knew that Ethan was in love with Matty.
Well since reading this book first I am hoping that I will be able to decipher and pick up the meanings and symbols in the books that I am about to read.
-- Lauren :] (all done yes!)
I recently started this book and would have to agree with everyone that it is helpful. I like how Foster writes every chapter about a new topic. This makes reading the book less boring, which is difficult to acoomplish since this is an informational book.
Everything that he has written about has helped me look deeper into the texts that I have read in one way or another.
One of the chapters that I enjoyed reading was Nice To Eat with You: Acts of Communion. This made me realize that it is true that in our everyday lives we share meals with the people whom we are closest with or want to become closer with. Foster writes, "...in the real world, breaking bread togehter is an act of sharing and peace..."(8). I never thought of it in this way, but it is true.
The text that I have been able to connect this idea about communion with is Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. The main character Mr. Stevens, after a long days work sits and chats with Miss Kenton his co-worker about thier day and upcoming events. Although they are drinking tea and hot cocoa and not eating they are still performing the act of communion in some way. The fact that they put time aside each day to meet with eachother reveals something about these characters and thier relationship. Although when you first read this book you may think nothing of it it does have a deeper meaning to the overall story. This is something that I might not have discovered if I had not read How To Read Like A Proffessor by Thomas C. Foster.
It is a fun read and I'm excited to learn other fun little facts!!
I'm 100 pages into this book and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Each chapter is interesting because each covers a different part of literature. It was also nice of the author to highlight the most important idea of a chapter in bold. In addition, the author is a professor of some college, so we know that the author is trustworthy and this helps him appeal to ethos.
I have to say, the voice he uses in the book is very natural. He doesn't have to hide behind dense vocabulary or use clutter to embellish his guide. Foster uses language to make it seem like he's speaking to the reader in a face to face conversation. For example, Foster writes, "Now that is an excellent question. I only wish I had an excellent answer, something pithy and substantive, maybe with a little alliteration, but instead I have one that's merely short. Yes," (82). Foster is honest with his audience and he uses simple sentences to show that he's in control. He wants his points to be brief and that's why he uses simple sentences. Furthermore, he also predicts the reader's confusion by posing questions that he/she may have after reading Foster's tips.
Foster also makes the book much easier to read by having summaries at the end of each chapter. The summaries give a gist of what each chapter was about, so that the reader stays on track. Finally, I'm going to have to try some of Foster's strategies on my next book.
I agree with Will on how easy this book is to read. I like how he speaks to the reader like a teacher would, italicizing the comments/questions that he supposes we would be thinking, and then replying to it. It's challenging to make how-to guides interesting, but Foster is quite successful in this book.
When we read "On Writing Well" (self-explanatory, for those of you who didn't have the pleasure of reading it) last summer, it was pretty unanimous that the book was boring, and the speaker was condescending. He spoke as if to say, "The way you've been writing up until this point has been wrong. Now listen to me, and you'll get it right, because I know the only way." Overall, it was quite painful to get through.
I like how this book uses what you already know, and always have known, and just points it out to you, for lack of a better description. All of the visceral associations we have with the common symbols he mentions, such as seasons, eating, weather, etc., aren't especially new to us. Thus, there's a major Aha!/Duh! factor when you read this book. It confirms what you've always thought.
Personally, it has given me more confidence in believing whatever that comes to my head when I read literature. Before, I'd be hesitant about whether or not what I thought about a certain symbol is "right." Foster assures the reader that you really can't go wrong if you're following what you already know from past reading and experience, and no one answer is correct.
I agree with Jess, the author really convinces you to "pay attention to what you feel about the text," (107). Most likely "it probably means something," (107). The author encourages us to find the symbols hidden in a story and to break down the ideas of a piece of literature. This is what I think makes the book engaging and enjoyable.
Jess brought up a good point about "On Writing Well." I remember reading this last summer and the author literally harasses the reader. It was useful, but it wasn't as enjoyable as this book is. This book flows smoothly and is useful too. I wouldn't have minded if Foster had written "On Writing Well."
It is interesting to see that even thought all literature is connected like a web(as Foster so cleverly stresses), we still gain differing views on symbols, characters, or the stories themselves. There are many interpretations to literature and "under no circumstances, in other words, should you take any pronouncements on these works as definitive," (105). Since there can't be one "definite" interpretation to a story, authors must be even more surprised to see that readers can break down their stories in ways that the authors hadn't even imagined. Do authors rely on more than one interpretation to their story to give their books success or is there a "certain" interpretation that they only want readers to get out of their book? I've never thought of literature this way before.
I've read almost this entire book while I was on vacation (I just got back today) so I'm exited about posting! I'm really liking how easy it is to read, just like everyone else. The fact that the author writes as if he were speaking helps me connect to him because I don't feel like he's talking over my head. I completely agree about "On Writing Well," as I thought the author was a little too snobby (for lack of a better word). This author seems to genuinely want to help his readers acquire a knack for picking up symbols, themes, and the like.
I thought by reading this book first, it would help me with the rest of the books, just like William said, because I'm hoping it will help me pick up on aspects throughout them. After taking Ms. Pettit's class last year that focused primarily on writing, I felt that my reading skills were a little rusty and this book is helping me pick up techniques that will help me be a more effective reader.
I was specifically impressed by the chapter on symbology. I always thought that symbols were so specific that there was only one interpretation and that it was either hit or miss if you got it or not. Now I see that there can be multiple interpretations of symbols and what actions, people, or items represent. I will be sure to be on the look out for symbols and I won't be as hesitant to try to find what symbols mean to me.
I've finished this book and it was very useful. I've learned a lot from this book. I now realize that little things, such as the "Garden Party" in the Test Case chapter, can help reveal the author's motive in writing the story. For example, the "Garden Party" helped show readers the struggle between social classes. Even though the party was sophisticated and "high-class," it was able to reveal something about the lives of the people living in the area.
I especially liked how the author actually included a "test case" for a finale. Instead of just sending us off, Foster decides to show us how we should apply his techniques when reading. It was helpful to see that the methods he taught us do in fact work effectively.
Finally, it was funny how the author used a little bit of Shakespearean language for a farewell to the readers because he had a whole chapter dedicated to the importance of William Shakespeare.
One of the most interesting things that I noticed in this book was the chapter "Marked for Greatness." I found myself to relate to it very easily, namely because of my Harry Potter obsession (I will be commenting on Book 7 in the open spot after it comes out if anyone loves HP as much as I do!). Harry's scar is basically the center of the entire series, and it represents all the conflict that surrounds his life.
Similarly, I took this chapter into consideration and thought about books I had read in the past year that involved a person being "marked" by something. One thing that came to mind was "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway. Jake is somewhat marked by the injury that he sustained during the war, making him unable to have a physical relationship with Brett and unable to maintain his feeling as a "man." It makes me see that being "marked" in a way isn't always a good thing, but it brings out a part of the character that gives the reader a deeper insight into their personality.
"Marking" can also mean stereotyping. Foster mentions "Greatful Dead Tattoos" (192) which immediately gave me the image of a rough, built biker dressed in a black leather suit. Obviously, anyone could have those types of tattoos, but the stereotype of a biker is reflected in the way they are "marked." Now, I hope to look more into the ways that other characters have their own distinct "marks" and see how it can contribute to my interpretations of them.
I agree with Will that the test case at the end of the book was a very good idea and was helpful in letting the reader use what he/she learned in reading the book.
Not only was the book helpul in teaching the reader what different symbols mean, but also how to spot them. For example, in the envoi, Foster says, "One mention of birds or flight is an occurrence, two may be a coincidence, but three constitutes a definite trend." (280) I also think he makes a good point when he says that certain characteristics of a character in a novel may not mean anything, but if it's an unavoidable characteristic, like an injury, then it most likely has meaning, because "it's easier to introduce characters without imperfections. You give a guy a limp in Chapter 2, he can't go sprinting after the train in Chapter 24." (200)
It reinforces the idea that if a certain occurrence or detail sticks out to you when you're reading, then you should analyze it and consider it, because it probably holds a deeper meaning.
By the end of the book, I felt as though it taught me a lot about how to focus my reading. For an awful long time, I really tried to finish reading books just to see what happens, but this book taught me to focus on WHY events happen and not just what happens.
Like Will and Jess said, the Test Case at the end of the book was really helpful. It allowed me to try out the new skills that the book taught me, and I really felt as though I picked up on some of the aspects of that story that I never would have thought of normally. I caught the messages about class systems that Foster explains in his analysis of the story and to be honest, it made me pretty proud of myself that I picked up on it.
Now, I hope to take these skills and use them in reading the other novels on our list.
I have only read about 50 pages of this book so I have not read all the comments since they probably give away details. Pardon me if I repeat some things already said.
When I first picked up this book, the title suggested that I wasn't going to enjoy it (it seemed like it was going to be similar to "On Writing Well" from last year's AP reading list). However, to my surprise, it actually provided me a very interesting and new perspective on reading literature.
Uusually, when I pick up a book of fiction, I sit down and just try to figure out the plot, charaters, their relationships with each other, etc (this has changed when I read non-fiction). After reading the first few chapters of this book, I realized that understanding a novel takes much more than just knowing what happens but "why and how" it happened. This seemed very familar as I remembered a lesson on rhetoric from last fall. These first few chapters provided me with a connection between fiction and the strategies that I learned in Ms. Pettit's AP language class which dealt which non-fictional texts. They have shown me that I should apply the same close-reading strategies that I used when analyzing essays and non-fiction such as figuring out the author's purpose, claim, and fucntion of rhetorical devices to attain a grasp on the meaning of a fictional text.
The author of this book himself, uses many rhetorical devices to achieve his purpose of educating "new" readers on seeing literary text through the eyes of a professor. One very prevalent technique that he uses is analogy, which both engages the reader and helps him or her understand the point that he is trying to make. One such analogy is Foster's comparison between vampires and Wall Street traders, which helps to illustrate the figurative meaning of the former.
I look forward to reading more of this book to learn more specific strategies that will help me to truly disect a work of literature.
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Hello. The book, "How to Read Like a Professor" is an extremely engaging and enlightening piece of work.
The first element of this work I would like to address is the strategy Foster often emphasizes which is that as a reader, one must look closely at the selection of detail the author uses in his or her novel. It seems that Foster is trying to get his message across that the reader must look at the details the writer provides in order to understand the motives and feelings of the characters.
One example of this can be seen when Foster points out that in the first few pages of Raymond Carver's story, "Cathedral" (1981), an unknown narrator describes a blind man he sees. If the reader is paying attention to the details in the story, they will notice this. The strategy of noticing the selection of detail is often important because it will give the reader a hint of what is to come and also because it will hint to observe the character's actions and reactions, struggles and conflicts, that he will have throughout the novel towards that particular subject. In this case, it shows that the unknown narrator in Carver's story felt disdain towards those different from him.
Another reason why I thought
Foster was trying to hint to the reader to observe the selection of detail writers often use in their stories and novels is because they often want to engage their readers and to emphasize another aspect of society or their characters without bluntly stating it.
Writers tend to include certain aspects of novels (such as certain parallels, allusions, symbols, and metonymies) in order to help the reader make connections by understand the characters and how they interact with others, the situations they encounter, and how they deal with certain events and conflicts. By using common parallels, such as using an idea from a Greek myth or a sub-plot from a Shakespearean work, the reader will be able to understand what is occurring in the novel they are reading by making these connections.
As Foster stated, "We’re (the writers) trying to make use of details or patterns, portions of some prior story…to add to the depth and texture of your story, to bring out a theme, to lend irony to a statement, to play with readers' deeply ingrained knowledge" (62) of stories and novels they have encountered prior to reading a new novel.
Honestly, once the writers have done their jobs of including these allusions, parallels, and so on and help the readers make the connections, it is the readers' responsibility to look for these elements and use them to their advantage of understanding the work. "Reading is an activity of imagination, and the imagination in question is not the writer's alone" (46) which emphasizes the point that most readers should always be open-minded when they begin reading a new piece of literary work.
Another piece of information I learned from this book was why writers tend to use the common allusions and parallels from well known fairy tales and stories. They are used in order to make a larger audience relate and able to understand the connection and message the author is trying to get across. I'm not sure if Foster was trying to get this point across but from every chapter it seemed he was trying to state that is very important how the reader perceives the story and its elements (its characters, situations, and so on) to demonstrate our similarities and differences, to portray human nature (at its best and worst). As Foster states, "There is only one story" (32) but there are many ways to express the story.
The reason why I focused so much on selection of detail and how Foster emphasizes to "read in between the lines" is because I never realized how books were so craftly written and how there is more to reading than just getting the "big picture". Details are there for a reason. It opened my eyes to an entire new way of how to analyze works of literature!
Ok I'm not quite sure about how I feel about this book. Although reading this has made me realize that it's not enough to just read the story, that you should be trying to read deeper into the meaning, there are many things I don't quite like. For one thing in this book is that the author throws in quite a lot of author names and titles of books I've never even heard of! I find it hard to read because I often have to go back to read the short little sentences where he talks about what the story is about. There were many times when I had no idea what he was talking about, mainly when he referred to a book. But when he referred to things that was pretty much common knowledge like vampires, ghosts, monsters, the Vietnam war, etc, I understood it a lot more.
I'm at the beginning but I have found quite a lot of things that are interesting. Well for one thing I found it amazingly interesting when it came to the topic about food! I had no idea that a dinner in a movie or a book had such significance. And now that I think of it, it's really is true. I had recently read a book for pleasure, the first of the Shopaholic series while staying at my cousin's house. I remembered clearly the dinner the main character had with her roommate's rich cousin. Ironically enough the main character was going broke and was only on this date because she hoped to receive money to help her out of her debts. It hadn't exactly been a pleasant evening for her. And while reading the topic of dinner, I realize why it was a turning point in the story almost.
Another thing I liked most was the quest. Such little things such as going to the store just to pick up some bread became a quest. Again referring back to the Shopaholic book [not the best choice I know but it's the one that I'm thinking of on the top of my head], every time the main character went shopping it was a quest. She would look for something in that store because she thought buying something would make her feel better. As the story goes on she realizes that she shouldn't be buying something to make herself feel better. The frequent quests to the nearest brand name store got her to that point.
The last thing was topic about vampires! I enjoyed that greatly. Because it was a little humorous as well. His last statement on that topic was: "My guess is that as long as people act toward their fellows in exploitative and selfish ways, the vampire will be with us." (21) made me laugh a little. It made me think about how there are always "monsters" in the world such as politicians who use sweet words to get people to vote them into power. Or big companies who try to make money off of the public.
So overall I guess this book is a very useful book but there are some faults about it that I hope as I read along would be easier to deal with.
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How to Read Literature Like a Professor is proving to be a really helpful book. The books I've been reading since starting and the books I've read prior to starting are all being turned over in my head as I look for some of the things Foster talks about in his novel. It's funny how I missed the relevance of tiny details or how smaller aspects of the book were helpful in understanding what was going on or what was going to happen.
What I love about the book is that Foster uses so many examples from all genres and types of text--it makes the lesson he is trying to teach all the more easy to absorb. I didn't think this would be an entertaining book but it's not bad. It reminds me of On Writing Well (Which was a good book!)
More to come before I leave the country xD
-Michelle
Just like the all of you have already commented, I too feel this book is very helpful. So far, I’ve read 11 chapters of this book (well, guide really). Since I usually read books for enjoyment, this book has been an eye-opener and has helped me understand how scholars, teachers, and even other students arrive at profound conclusions when reading books that I myself failed to discover.
The book is not only attractive for this reason, but as William points out, Foster has a natural voice. It’s very inviting and seems to have the audience’s best interest in mind (his intended audience is most likely students hoping to be able to dissect literature). He does this by bolding certain ideas, posing questions he thinks readers may have in italics, and apologizing if he talks “as if a certain statement is always true” (6), so as not to confuse the reader and make sure he/she understands. He is also honest like William said because at an interlude (named “Does He Mean That?”), he addresses a question I had: “you keep saying that the writer is alluding to this obscure work and using that symbol or following some pattern or other that I never heard of, but does he really intend to do that?” (82), giving a truthful answer “…no one knows for certain” (82). Although this is the best answer, at the same time, I find it hard to believe that authors are able to incorporate all of the symbols, parallels, irony, etc. that readers pick up in their books.
It’s also helpful that Foster invents interesting titles for the chapters in order for the book to be more engaging. The second chapter, Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion (as other bloggers have already pointed out), really helps explain why meal scenes are used in novels. I for one am always puzzled as to why the author would include such boring scenes (as Foster himself says). For example, in “The Sun Also Rises” and “The Great Gatsby”, the reader is forced to endure meaningless conversations over dinners. Now, thanks to Foster, I have a greater understanding of the reason behind this, which could be to reinforce the purposeless lives characters in both books (Nick, Brett, and Robert, versus Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan) lead, as well as highlight individual characteristics and relationships among them.
Like jdubya, fascination engulfs me as I continue to delve into Foster’s theory that all literature is connected and stories are reused, adapted, and altered by authors. I never thought about it like this before. At the same time, I find myself struggling with the validity of this notion because although I have read books that remind me of one another or that may allude to the same historical event or time period, not everything I have read seems connected to anything I know. For example, the Harry Potter series doesn’t seem to have been derived from Shakespeare, a myth, or a fairy tale to me (although it does have mythical/fairytale creatures in it). It just doesn’t remind me of older texts or stories—neither do W. P. Kinsella’s “Shoeless Joe,” Walter Dean Myer’s “Monster,” or Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” But Foster attributes this to the fact that one needs to read a great deal in order to be able to discover all the corresponding messages and themes and basic storylines in novels, which is probably true.
This could perhaps be why some parts of Foster’s book annoy me. Clearly he proves to be a master at this subject by being an English professor and summarizing/comparing several literary works and authors (appealing to ethos). However, he seems to have ruined some of the books for me, although unintentionally, like Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” by saying that Frederic Henry’s lover was killed off (p. 78). Although I understand Foster only includes so many works to give evidence of his notion (and credibility), at times I feel he simply rambles about novels I have yet to read that don’t have as much significance to me because I haven’t read them (like rei-amandan said). Therefore, sometimes it is a bit unclear when he discusses/compares novels. (It also doesn’t help that I don’t know many fairy tales, like Hansel and Gretel, or many Greek and Roman myths.)
Still, on the whole, I find the book to be very informative and useful for future literature I read, due to its insightful facts about vampires, weather, meals, and sonnets.
Because I'm not necessarily actively looking for something in this book, I'm not exactly sure what to comment on.
So far, I love the fact that I'm able to connect things back to books I've read before. Foster's idea that there is only one story deffinitely caught my attention as well. The idea that we all contribute to ONE story and that everybook is just a separate part of this one story boggled my mind the first time I read it over.
On to context...
The chapter about water and how it means rebirth is deffinitely one of my favorite so far. It made the book I read this summer, Stones from the River, come back and allowed me to reflect on certain parts and derive a new meaning. Second, looking through my own book, one I've been writing for awhile, I realized that I used water as rebirth or as a means of coming to an understanding without realizing it. I deffinitely have to say that this book is going to help me with my own and is helping me discover new things in my own writing/mind.
I'm not sure however, if I missed something. To go south in a novel generally means to go to "run amok". I imagine North would be the opposite of that (maybe going to settle down/be happy). So what would going East or West denote?
-Less than a week left before I leave =D
-Michelle
As I continue to read the book I find that it's getting a little bit easier to enjoy the story. But it's still taking me a long time to actually... be engaged to it. I found myself unable to stop reading with the other books but strangely with this one, I'm stopping quite a lot. So yeah, I'm not enjoying this book as much as everyone else is but there are many interesting points about this book that are enjoyable to know.
I found it very interesting how the SMALLEST things in a story can contain references to things such as the Bible and Greek mythology. I wasn't so surprised about references to Shakespeare because he was, after all, an amazing English literature writer. And although Foster's statement about the importance of names was short, it was very important. Such as names with "Helen" and "Chris" can bring connections to stories from the Bible and such.
Another interesting thing I never thought of until now was the chapter concerning the significance of a violent act. I got to thinking about One Hundred Years of Solitude and how CAB seemed to truly be alive when he was angry and wanting to fight. Foster described violence as "one of the most personal and even intimate acts between human beings, but it can also be cultural and societal in its implications." (88) Strangely I got to thinking about the hip hop and rap songs out there and about the heavy influence of sex there is on the culture. For instance in all the songs by artists such as 50 Cents, MIMS, Jay Z, and Eminem [and all others] talk about the violence of the "hood" and the bloodshed and etc of their lifestyles. They talk about violence almost as much as they talk about sex in their songs which are widely played on the radios. He also mentions a story in which a female and male enter a rather violent relationship and begin to describe the psychologically damages that are inflicted as well.
But this book, no matter how un-engaging it is to me, is very helpful. And I find myself thinking about all the points Foster makes while reading. I'm reading a book called Twilight for pleasure and the rain and fog in the beginning of the story made me think back to the chapter about "It's More than Rain and Snow".
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As I read more and more of this book (I’ve just completed the second interlude), I become increasingly grateful that we’ve been assigned to read it because I’m sure it will help me dissect literature in the future. Foster’s conversational and non-condescending voice and clarity helps readers approach literature in a new way, deepening their knowledge of books they’ve already read and changing the way they look at literature for the better.
Like rei-amandan, I too found the chapter on violence interesting and related it to One Hundred Years of Solitude. While reading it, although I am not yet done, I just thought the violence depicted in the novel between the conservatives and liberals was a revolution, with great historical significance. From history, I know that revolutions often transform into full fledged wars in which soldiers valiantly fight for what they believe in. (Hey Foster’s right, everything is political.) However, after having read Foster’s take on violence, I am beginning to think the violence means more, especially due to Colonel Aureliano Buendia’s reaction to war. Once a solitary and intellectual figure he becomes a great, perhaps even ruthless, military leader. This perplexing transformation leads me to believe that CAB engages in this fighting, not only for pride, but also to escape the solitude in his life, especially since his wife has died and Foster claims that violence is a “personal and intimate act between humans” (88). Similarly, Pietro Crespi may commit suicide (another act of violence) not just because he suffers from unrequited love, but to escape solitude as well, forcing Amaranta to realize how much she’s hurt him and is willing to sacrifice for her. Having read this portion on violence, there is a whole new realm of possibilities pertaining to the significance of violence.
Another valuable chapter to me thus far, is the one discussing symbols. I was delighted to find out that symbols are “determined to a large extent by how the individual reader engages the text” (103), meaning that it’s open to interpretation. In the past, I’ve usually considered my interpretations to be incorrect if others didn't state it and I’ve had trouble finding symbols because I thought they were so specific, but now I know that there can be a range of symbols in a book, depending on the person. Now I just hope that I don’t try to force all objects, ideas, actions, or images, in the books I read, into being symbols.
I also find the interludes to be helpful. The second interlude, One Story, helped clarify my confusion on this theory of “there’s only one story” (185), because at first I was baffled at how there can only be one story when I’ve read many different stories. Thankfully, Foster employs creative analogies to explain himself like: “Everywhere you look, the ground is already camped on. So you sigh and pitch you tent where you can, knowing someone else has been there before” (187) or “can you use a word no one else has ever used?” (187). These visuals helped me grasp the concept of the “one story” and intertextuality because it literally explains that everything has already been done before and so of course an author uses elements of other stories to compose his own, essentially really not making it original/his own because of this fact.
Unfortunately Michelle, I can’t answer your question about what the east or west denotes because I was wondering the same thing. Since going south means the characters “can run amok” (171), I concluded that going north means that they improve themselves or are less likely to take risks and do something crazy. Foster only mentions East and West when saying “So, high or low, near or far, north or south, east or west, the places of poems and fiction really matter” (174). From this, all I can guess is that the two are extremes and that perhaps east and west can be used interchangeably with north and south.
I must first say that this book ruined so many endings and surprises to books for me, I could've bawled. However, the book was very helpful, interesting, and, overall, I just adored it.
I now generally look at books completely differently than I once did. An example of this being that when reading A Clockwork Orange last year, the idea that the main character Alex symbolized Jesus was probably the last thing on my mind. It never occured to me until The author threw it at me and I felt as though I was slapped in the face. Though I saw it in Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, and most other books I read where the main character was a good person deteriorating throughout the book for the good of mankind, I never thought that someone so evil could fill that spot. Now looking back, I realize that it was pretty narrow-minded to miss such a thing. I am now enlightened and search for such things.
The quests were probably the easiest to find, but I now try to apply it to everything I read. I really am glad to have read this and enjoy being a more adventurous reader when trying to decipher everything's larger meaning.
I always knew that the works of Shakespeare, and all of the anceint plays, and the Bible, and also children's stories, influenced what came after, but I never fully realized how large their hand of influence was. Trying to connect the things I read to other stories I've read truly is an amusing thing to do, and makes you feel more accomplished. Writers are inspired by these old tales that they found or were raised upon, and they want to reproduce these ideas, either consciously or unconsciously, and update it into their books. So, there hardly seems to be any originality left in the literary world. Upon thinking about it, it made me morose, but then I thought about how the idea is modified and put into another's story, and the idea is turned into something at least a bit different, with a different storyline, and it no longer seemed so bad.
Something I found very interesting to read about was the fact that every piece of text is connected, from the Greek plays, to the sonnets of Shakespeare, to the modern novels of today. Everything connecting into a story of the world is intruiging to consider. While it's kind of despairing to think that no work is original anymore, but it all does add to this immense web of stories, and makes it better.
I loved the test case in the back of How To Read Literature Like a Professor. I think The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield is a wonderful short story and loved trying to interpret it. It was actually exciting to do so, and I got so much more out of it than I would have if I didn't read about all of the things that books cover up for you to find. Foster, being a professor who's been doing this reading between the lines for quite some time, found some things that I didn't, but I got to decipher so much, and he brought us back to the story by the showing examples and everything turned out to be enlightening.
My favorite and most enlightening chapters of this book were probably Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion, and Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires. I don't think I realized how much there was going on within eating meals with one another. I also found it engaging to think of things as being vampyric without them being monsters in any sense except how they affect people, slowly draining something of them away.
This book shows that there is just so much more to reading literature than just absorbing the literal facts. I am thankful for having reading this book in time to realize this before I go on and read more in the years to come. It makes one almost feel the urge to read everything they have ever read all over again just so they can make these connections.
I would like to address a topic that has been discussed by many so far. I have had conflicting views about the way Foster views symbolism. In the book, Foster states that the meaning of a symbol depends on what a reader thinks. This would likely depend on the character of the reader and the experiences and observations that have shaped him or her. However, I am ambivalent over this claim. In many texts that I have read such as Lord of the Flies, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Sun Also Rises, the author doesn't seem to leave a symbol very open to interpretation. They seem to use that symbol for a very specific purpose.
In Lord of the Flies, William Golding employs many symbols, most prevalently the conch shell. In this case, the conch shell represents order and authority and there doesn't seem to be much room for it to mean anything else. If one interpreted the conch to mean something that was not related it seems that he or she would not be able to understand the meaning of the whole book, which is also relatively fixed. Lord of the Flies is a post WWII book that points out the innate evils of human nature. Without understanding the conch as a symbol of authority, it seems that the author's purpose would not be achieved.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens uses a broken wine case to symbolize blood and violence that is about to befall France in the French Revolution. This symbol is used to give readers an understanding of the hardships and adversity that the French peasants were living with and to foreshadow their building distaste with their current conditions. It seems very unlikely that if one doesn't see the case to represent violence or a related idea, he or she would understand why the French Revolution occurs when Dickens describes it later on in the story. The Revolution itself is vitally important to the plot of the story.
Finally, in The Sun Also Rises, the bullfighting is used to represent masculinity and the "code of honor" that men follow. Although it might be obvious, this symbol is also vitally important to the meaning of the story. When Jake "breaks" this code of honor by introducing Bret to Romeo, a talented bull fighter, he embodies the lost morals of the "lost generation" which is he primary focus of the story. Without understanding the bullfighting as the traditional code of manhood, it seems impossible for a reader to understand the author's purpose regarding the "lost generation."
Although, Foster claims that symbols mean what the reader think, sometimes it seems that a writer uses one for a very specific purpose that is not open to interpretation. These symbols are vitally important to both the surface plot of the story and the deeper meaning that the story holds. It seems that if a reader does not interpret certain symbols certain ways that he or she will not be able to understand the book as a whole and thus the author of the book will not be able to achieve his or her purpose.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m confident that I will be able to understand literature better. Identifying symbols, themes, and ideas within the text, no longer seem as daunting as they had before.
One thing I will definitely be keener to notice in novels is in recognizing the significance of characters with deformities or special marks. I knew that such physical imperfections differentiated characters from the rest, but the chapter “Marked for Greatness” convinced me it means even more. I agree with Meaghan that Harry Potter’s scar signifies “all the conflict that surrounds his life,” but even more, it alienates him from everybody—wizard and Muggle alike. It signifies both love (from his parents’ sacrifice) and hate (Voldemort). Because it’s in the shape of a lightning bolt, I can infer that it is one of a kind, because it is very rare to be hit by lightning. Being directly in the middle of his forehead makes this mark, and extraordinary story behind it, prove that Lord Voldemort specifically chose him. No matter how hard he tries to escape it and be “normal” there is no way he can because this mark is so noticeable (even if people don’t know him, they can still identify him by his scar). Never before this had I realized that marks had so much importance.
Another interesting point I learned is that “if you want your audience to know something important about your character (or the work at large), introduce it early, before you need it” (205). Although this seems quite obvious, I never appreciated it’s truth. I will make sure to examine the characters closely at the beginning of a novel so that I may detect any very important characteristics that may be crucial to the story as it progresses.
Lastly, I too greatly enjoyed the chapter “A Test Case.” I feel this was an excellent means to end the book because Foster allowed the reader to apply the skills he so passionately advocated—and through Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party,” he proved that his ideas worked. I enjoyed Mansfield’s use of colorful, visual imagery, personification, and clever allusions to flight and flowers and was thrilled at being able to grasp the story’s main points, thanks to Foster. I was able to understand as much as (if not more than) the history major (the second student). It was very helpful to include Foster’s graduate student’s analysis (which was impressive!) because it pointed out elements that I failed to notice, like Mrs. Sheridan acting as a “mother bird” and that ultimately, at the end of her quest, Laura accepts the “upper class view” of life (which I can now see having reread it). Also, by Foster focusing on the “garden” significance, rather than the “party” (from title), I realized I still need to learn to look at stories from different angles.
Having read and analyzed “A Garden Party,” being reassured by Foster that I have all the tools I need to dissect a piece of literature (in the envoi, Foster says “You don’t need them” (280) referring to the other literary codes he didn’t cover in the book, because he believes the reader will acquire them as his/her reading experience grows) and learning all of Foster’s helpful ideas, I am eager to begin applying this knowledge to other literary works, especially many of those he included on his reading list.
I've just finished How to Read and the book was really helpful. Also, I agree that the test story at the end of the book was a fun way to excercise what we learned. I ended up interpreting things a bit differently than the examples we were shown but I guess that's okay. Diane's analysis was also easy to understand and helped me see that not only Foster has all this symbolism and allusions in his head. It was a boost to my spirit =]
About Harry Potter's scar: I think you hit the mark when you said that it separates him from both the muggle and magical worlds and symbolizes the drama in his life. I think it also serves as a reminder that he has a greater mission to accomplish. He has to beat Voldemort. The scar, therefore is really important.
In the Sun Also Rises, I realized how important Jack's injury is. Ms. Pettit had us explore what it meant during a class discussion but the book introduced ideas that I don't believe anyone had brought up. It was really interesting to see a different view from that of the class from last year and from Ms. Pettit. However, a thanks has to go out to her for teaching me to look at the things I do catch. She started our skills and Foster's work as well as this year will hone them. I'm looking forward to it =D
I leave for Portugal tomorrow so I'll post when I get back.
-Michelle
Okay so as I progress onwards and heading towards the end, I am still enjoying the book a little more. I find that in some parts he's repeating his point, does anyone else feel that way? I enjoy it more when he uses the same example over and over because you are already familiar with it. But most of the time he uses quite a lot of different titles in which I've never heard of and he only briefly describes what the story is about. I mean I know he's trying to prove that the topic falls into a lot of different books but as he tries to explain it, I find it easier when he uses the same example.
The second interlude confused me. Yes, he had already discussed the topic of "every story has only one story". But in the interlude was confusing because he talked about how they all shared something in common. But in the end, he only told us that the "one story is about everything". That was very vague and in the end I found myself very confused. Would anyone like to explain this to me? The "one story" that all stories share is about "everything"? That the "one story" is about the "world and us" or "us and the world"?
Hey, finally a break from long tedious reading! Well, to get to the point, so far, I’m agreeing with everyone else; this book is quite fun. I’ve always thought the most important thing when it comes to reading is to enjoy the story, not try to x-ray the book and find the “deeper” meaning. I thought that if I did try to juggle comprehending, examining, and enjoying the book, it would be a difficult and confusing task, but, reading this tutorial by Foster somehow made me realize that recognizing these symbols isn’t that hard at all, nor perplexing at the same time. It gave me insight to how easy symbols can be spotted without having to dissect the whole book!
While reading chapter two of the book, the section about how eating isn’t just eating, I recalled an English class discussion. Like Lauren said, it brought to mind the scene of Ethan Frome and Mattie while they were having supper. At first, I wondered, “who eats a combination of doughnuts with pickles for dinner”? Then after a class discussion, I finally understood what Edith Wharton was trying to get across, but was still a little skeptical. Now with Foster’s lesson, I can finally put my mind to rest and be assured that Ms. Day wasn’t making things up!
On the contrary, I do find the book to be a little confusing at times, due to the examples of other works of literature Foster uses. Really, most of these books I have never heard of in my life, thus it was hard trying to understand his reasoning with the example he provided. I may know Shakespeare, but only the ones I have read, and from how I was brought up, the Bible is almost a complete stranger to me, except for Adam and Eve. He talks about a lot of great writers, dating as early as mythological times to around the 1800s. Still, with my current high school education, how am I to know who James Joyce or Toni Morrison is? Other than this, everything is going great so far and it definitely is a fun and page- turning read.
Hello. I have just completed the second Interlude of "How to Read Like a Professor" and have made quite a few observations about this literary guide as a whole. When I first began reading this book, I thought it was amazingly helpful and resourceful, which I still do believe is true, but I have also noticed that this book is sometimes confusing, or rather, a bit intimidating. Foster continuously presents many examples in each of his chapters to his reader yet it is often quite hard to follow because many of the books I have not encountered before in my literary experience. It is obvious that his examples are useful in understanding each element of literature but the countless cases of how each element is used is a bit intimidating because there are just so many different ways the element can be interpreted. The book, as a whole, does simplify the process of reading and depicting literature but it also makes me feel slightly anxious or worried that I will not be able to depict such details when I myself read the novels he has analyzed.
Though this is true, Foster is inconspicuously revealing to his audience that "good" literature is not "programmatic" as he mentions on page 110. Literature in itself is a journey of intricate analysis, using one's imagination, making connections to the world and environment around oneself and previous encounters one has seen resembling what one has already read.
Another element in this book I thought to be quite ingenious was the way in which Foster shows both sides to a particular element. For example, he shows the reasons why "political" writings can have both positive and negative elements within their texts. He states that political writing can be "Writing that engages the realities of its world-that thing about human problems, including those in the social and political realm that addresses the rights of persons and the wrongs of those in power…" (110) to show the positive aspects and pluses of writing a straight-out political novel yet he also shows the negative aspects of doing such a thing when he states that it can also be "programmatic, pushing a single cause or concern or party position, or it's tied into a highly topical situation that doesn't transfer well out of its own specific time and place." (110) Foster is really unbiased and tries to present all cases possible throughout his book.
Another example where he does this can be seen in his chapter, "If She Comes Up, It's Baptism". In this chapter, he presents all possible interpretations about the meaning when a character falls into a body of water. He not only presents his interpretation of each example put forth, but also provides context to each of his examples so that his reader will not be lost or confused if he or she has not yet read that particular novel he is addressing.
The last thing I would like to address is Foster's voice. I feel as if he is speaking to his reader in a colloquial manner in order to build his ethos and make the reader feel as if the author is trying to help his reader, not strictly bear his opinions on them in a domineering and authoritative manner. Another thing that I strongly enjoy about Foster's voice is the fact that he also incorporates higher level vocabulary so that as I read, I am also subtly building my vocabulary. And I truly enjoy the way in which he finishes each chapter; he either makes a humorous comment about something he mentioned earlier or closes the chapter in such a way that it goes along with the element he addresses. I truly love it!
It is quite obvious that Foster spent a great deal of time and effort in putting together this book. Overall, I find it an amazing guide to literature and am excited to finish it!
Heyy everyonee!!!
This book has really showed me another perspective on novels. It really is now going to allow me to look at other novels and see them differntly then i did before.
On chapter four I thought that the poem Foster uses to show us an example of Sonnets was a wonderful poem. I fell in love with it, from the moment I started reading the poem. It reminded me of romance movies when two people who love each other are far apart but at the same time thinking of one another. (also maybe even can feel the other person thinking of them) I always loved those corny movies because I guess I would love to have that someday. But hey there onlyy movies.
Also another chapter that caught my attention was chapter three:Nice to Eat you: Acts of Vampires. I never really looked at vampires more than just made up monsters in movies and books. Once i read that chapter I started to think about other things out there that can be called Vampires as well. Like Rapists for example. They are ussually an "older figure representing corrupt, outworn values;"(19) They loook for women and "strip away" their pride, dignity,"energy, and virtue." After they do this to women they always continue with their lives and do it to others. (unless they get caught)"but having destroyed and consumed her, he moves on, not sufficiently touched, it seems to me, by the pathetic spectacle he has caused."(19-20) They also lead up to the "death or destruction of the women." They ussually kill their victim because they are afraid they are going to talk. The ones who are not afraid they will talk, let them go but let them go to a life that will have them miserable for the rest of their lives because the memory will haunt them forever. SO Vampires don't have to be made up monsters because there are corrupt people in our society who are just like them. And I know people probably wish they were made up and never exist, but unfortunatly they do.
Farrah ;)
Hello. I have just completed "How to Read Like a Professor"! I must say I'm pretty relieved to have finished this book. The end was a bit tedious to read because it became somewhat overwhelming, element after element, example after example. But truly, this book was amazing. I never knew literature could be so complicated yet so fascinating all at the same time. It just intrigues me how writers could think of such details, such as geography, certain illnesses, seasons, rain, and so on, to be used in their novels to emphasize a point which reinforces their purpose! It's just so amazing.
I am seriously excited to read more novels and hopefully be able to apply the things I've learned through my reading of this book.
One repeated element that stuck me was the way by which Foster continuously mentions how literature is strictly just one story and that "the one story, ur-story, is about ourselves, about what it means to be human….we're interested in ourselves in space or time, in the world," (186) Again, I apologize but I must bring Faulkner into this as he states in his Noble Acceptance speech that a writer's purpose is to, "help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail."
Both Foster and Faulkner believe that a writer's duty is to express how we humans perceive ourselves, those around us, and the world cumulatively. It is quite obvious that, yes, originality is impossible when creating a new work of literature but what can make it differ from the novels previously written is the way in which the reader connects and perceives the text. Foster and Faulkner alike believe it's necessary for the writer to write about real emotion and believable characters that could well be your next door neighbor or the little boy who lives down the street.
The analogy that Foster uses in which he states, "Their work interacts with other works. And those works with others. The result is a sort of World Wide Wed of writing," (189) is quite an interesting interpretation of literature as a whole. He repeatedly makes me comprehend that the more works of literature one reads, the better at it one becomes in understanding the way in which the stories can be interpreted and the elements that build up to this specific interpretation.
Through his literary guide, Foster poses questions to the reader in italics and strategically provides through and intricate answers which makes the reader feel in control of their future literature experience. I found it quite a bit of a confidence booster due to the fact that he answers a few of questions I myself was concerned with even before he addressed them. He truly knows his readership and does an excellent job addressing their needs.
Another thing I would like to express is that some of the novels Foster mentions sound quite interesting. Now I realize that there are numerous books out there that I have yet to read, which sound quite exciting! Now that I have completed this book and the helpful Test Case subsequently provided in the ends of the book, I am ready to try to apply the strategies Foster mentions while reading. My only regret is not having read this before. It would have helped quite a great deal in my prior years.
Hi Everyone!! I am now close to finishing How to Read Literature Like a Professor and am finding it very helpful. I am also reading The Kite Runner. Reading Foster's book at the same time has made it easier to find symbols and certain aspects of the book that I would not have found otherwise.
One chapter that I found interesting was "...And Rarely Just Illness". This chapter discusses the many diseases that characters are likely to have and what they represent. This chapter helped me make connections to the Kite Runner. In the Kite Runner the main character's father or Baba has been diagnosed with a certain type of cancer. Baba has the opportunity to do chemotherapy, but refuses along with any other medication. This reveals a lot about Baba's character. Foster writes about a character,"...her own acceptance of the disease, of the inevitability of her mortality and suffering, mirrors her self-sacrificing nature: perhaps it is best for everyone else, Darley especially, if she dies". I found that this quotation can be related Baba from The Kite Runner. His acceptance of his disease and death reveal a lot about his personality. Once Baba is diagnosed his life changes along with the story. The reader sees a new person and a beauty that was not there before the cancer. After Baba dies his son Amir realizes how strong his father was and how similar he is to him. My main point here is to say that diseases or any disability are there for a reason and reveal things that one would normally never see.
Hey everyonee!! well im like almost done with this book.
I want to talk about chapter ten; Its more Than Just Rain or Snow. It was pretty funny right when i started reading this chapter it started to rain outside. Anyways.
"In Song of Solomon, toni Morrison gives her poor jilted lover,Hagar,....Hager spends a desperate day buying clothes, and accessories, visiting hair and nail salons, and generally turning herseld into a simulacrum of the woman she thinks Milkman wants. .... The experience of course destroys her and she soon dies of a broken heart and rain. So much for the salutary effects of cleansing rains."(77) I thought this was an excellent passage because it connects with so many people in society today. Everyone spends soo muchh moneyy worrying about how they look, if their thin enough, what kind of clothes should they wear, etc., etc. I mean I have to addmit I do that alot. I mean doesn't every girl? I think every girl worries about how they look because of what advertisments say, what their role models on tv or movies or models do, and what they believe society expects them to look like. Like Hagars situation shes trying to look good for a man. Shes litterlly trying to be someone othe than herself. I mean why would you want to change your self for a man when theres alot more men in this world who will love you for who you are. Its pretty funny women/girls try to be what society protrays them but destroy themselves while doing it. They start to become different, and have lots of medical problems. ALso their medical problems can lead to their deaths. Like Hagar's situation, she spends all her money and energy but then it is all wasted because she gets caught in a rain strom. So then she leads to her destrucction by destroying herself and dying from a broken heart. So trying to make other people happy about you other than yourself really does destroy inside in so many ways.
I also never really looked at rain and snow as anything but rain and snow untill I read this chapter.
I really loved this passage about rainbows.
"Rain mixes with sun to create rainbows. We mentioned this one before, but it merits our consideration. While we may have minor associations with pots of gold and leprechauns, the main function of the image of the rainbow is to symbolize divine promise, peace between heaven and earth."(79) I really like this passage because it really explains to us the meaning of rainbows and what makes them so beautiful.
farrah ;)
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I have just finished reading How to Read Literature like a Professor. Overall, I believe that this book has given me a completely different (and improved) view on reading literature. Each of Foster’s chapters has shown me a different element to look for in a literary text that is beneath the surface such as symbols, allusions, Christ Figures, physical abnormalities of major characters, and how they can function in that text.
Specifically, I found the chapter “Marked for Greatness” particularly interesting. In the chapter, Foster discusses how authors in many literary works mark their protagonists with physical abnormalities such as a wounded foot, scar, or infertility. After reading the first few pages of the chapter I immediately thought of Jake Barnes in The Sun Also Rises, which the chapter fittingly discusses later on. Jake, the protagonist of Hemmingway’s book, is wounded in World War I. As a result, he loses his reproductive abilities. Marked by this wound, Jake is constantly tortured by it as he exhibits tremendous “sexual desire,” for Lady Bret Ashley, but has no “ability to act upon it.” Reproduction is a fundamental human characteristic. Having this taken away from him, Jake embodies the “wound” that the war has inflicted on humanity as a whole. However, I am ambivalent on one point. Only with regard to Jake, did Hemmingway want to portray him as a hero or as someone who could not adapt to his new condition?
Finally, the test case near the end of the book really helped me understand how to implement the strategies that Foster mentions throughout the book. Going through the story the first time, I read it as I had read all stories before having almost entirely forgotten many of the aspects of a literary work that Foster had mentioned. However, going through it the second time having knowledge of what to look for, I was able to answer the questions “What does the story signify?” and how does it signify it? Overall, I was able to conclude that “The Garden Party” portrays a young woman who lives with a rich family who exhibits compassion for people with less fortune despite her mother’s true ignorance. Laura has to struggle with her own feelings and those that had been put into her head by her surroundings. After comparing my notes to Foster’s, I was not able to pick up many of the implied historic references, but I was able to get the general picture. Foster’s analysis has shown me that no work of literature is truly original and is always based on works that had come before. Who knew that a story dealing with class distinctions in the 1920s had overtones of ancient Greek mythology and Homer’s works.
Ok, now on to my second discussion of this book. The funny thing is, with almost every chapter Foster talks about, somehow I’m reminded of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter; violence, how every dead character means something, symbols in the story like Hester’s “A”, marks of significance like Dimmsdale’s self-inflicted pains, and weather. All of these I see in Hawthorne’s novel, which excites me because finally there’s a book that I read and enjoyed that also helps me to understand and connect to what Foster is trying to teach. (Since his examples are books I’ve never even heard of.)
While reading chapter 15 of Flight of Fancy, Remedios the Beauty immediately came to mind from Garcia- Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude; the scene was when she mysteriously flew away to heaven. In this chapter, Foster said that “flight was freedom”, and indeed in Remedios’s case, it was. She was this mystifying creature that possessed such inexplicable beauty and aura that she caused herself unable to breathe. She can’t be blamed for the way she was born, but yet she still has to suffer from the constant suitors, her family’s overprotection, and the curious and endless crowds. This has put such a negative impact upon her life that she can’t even grow up or lead a normal life. She’s naïve and innocent to the point where one feels pity for her. That’s why when she wa suddenly lifted and disappeared into thin air, in a way, I believe it was like the Heavens finally giving her a break and freeing her from her hideous life.
Finally, I’m finished with this book. Like everyone else, all I can say is that this was an excellent book and really taught me to dwell deeper than the surface of a story. What was even greater was the fact that after all the lessons of teaching, Foster actually gave us a test to see what we have learned! The “Test Case” really was a wonder addition, and the particular story he chose really touched almost all the aspects he mentioned throughout his book. As I was reading The Garden Party, almost like instinct, I was picking up all the hidden meanings in the story; like the quest Laura was taking, the significance of food that included the fifteen types of sandwiches, how this story shares similarities with other works of literature such as Persephone, how the weather played a part, the sudden mention of a death and its hidden purpose, how political issues such as social classes were involved, geography of where the Sheridans lived compared to the lower class people, and the irony in the story.
Normally, when I read a story, I chose to believe the narrator, but as this story unfolds and seeing how “perfect” it was, Foster’s voice immediately reminded me that “irony trumps everything” (244). With this in mind, I read the story more carefully and took in consideration all the little details that seemed suspicious or mentioned often or fit some pattern. In the end, I was right on my hunch that this wasn’t going to have a “perfect” ending; a death came along the way and brought a whole new dimension into the story.
In the end, I believe Laura was trying to say “isn’t life-“unfair, the saying that we all hear once in a while when someone’s day went bad. We all learn at a young age that it’s true, but then there are some things in life that can’t be changed and there are others that we make a difference on. It’s ironic that Laura calls this experience “marvelous”, but I guess it has impacted her life and she just might grow to make decisions or at least view the world in a way that will have an effect on the social injustices in the world.
Heyyyy everyonee!!! I finally finished the book and it was pretty good. It's deffinetly now going to change the way i read books from now on. I also loved the short story "the garden party" at the end of the book. All of the things that were said to explain the meaning of that story i would have never thought of but helped make u understand the storyy even more, and help me in the future when I will have to describe my own meanings about stories.
I also have been seeing lots of quests in most of the books I have read or am reading. I never really considered them quests until I read this book.
I also learned alot of new vocabulary that I have never seen or never knew what they meant. Which could deffinetly help in the future.
I also thought it was cool when he mentioned some of the stories I have read before and explained the characters and the scenes in the novel more into depths with greater meaning.
I also am now going to go buy some of the books he mentioned in the book because they sound so interesting to read.
Well this book did help me alot by being able to understand stories, and novels better than I did before.
Farrah ;)
I finished the book and it has helped a lot and has opened my eyes to new ideas.
One of the chapters that I really enjoyed was the one titled: “It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow". I found this to be very helpful because in almost every piece of literature that I have read it has rained or snowed. Now I know that if either of these occurs in a story there most likely is a deeper meaning. I just finished The Kite Runner and in the last chapter it rained. The main character Amir, throughout the story has been dealing with feelings of guilt from events of his past. But, in the last chapter he is at a social gathering and when it rains it seems that it is a way for Amir to become cleansed and no longer feel guilty for his past.
Another chapter that I found interesting is the one about flying. This chapter also connects to the last chapter of Kite Runner. In the last chapter of Kite Runner after the rain, which I mentioned above, Amir and young boys begin to fly kites. Amir hasn't done this in a long time and I feel that it symbolizes the guilt he has let go of and it seems as though a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Amir says, "I hadn't flown a kite in a quarter of a century, but suddenly I was twelve again and all the old instincts came rushing back".(368) This reveals that flying kites not only has a special meaning to him, but in the end reveals that the kite running represents a theme in the story.
I hope what I wrote made sense. I didn't want to write too much and give away the ending to Kite Runner.
Over all I really enjoyed How to Read Literature like a Professor and will continue to refer to it when reading new books.
When I looked at the reading list for the summer and saw the title of this book I moaned and was dreading it. So, I put off reading it until I was done with all the other reading, which was, looking back in retrospect, a horrible idea. I started reading and finished the first third of the book today and was completely surprised. I thought that it was going to be a complete bore, but I'm actually enjoying more than I enjoyed some of the other books we had to read.
Anyway, like I said reading this book last was a horrible choice, mainly because the material presented could have helped me to understand the other works of literature sooner. However, reading it last also allowed me to think back and make connections between all the different texts.
Something I found very interesting was the chapter on food. I believe Lauren commented on this already, but I'd like to bring it up anyway. In “How to Read Literature like a Professor”, Foster presents many various examples of how the sharing of meals within text is a symbol; however he doesn't mention the dinner scene between Mattie and Ethan in “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton. Within the time era when “Ethan Frome” was published having a sex scene, especially one with a married man and the cousin of his wife, within a text would result in it being banned, however the brilliant Wharton suggest that something did happen between Ethan and Mattie by the food that was served. It never really occurred to me before English class last year that something as simple as a meal can symbol something so much more important to the text. I did make a connection between “Things Fall Apart” and sharing meals. Okonkwo is fed by his wives who have their children serve him. They sit and wait for him to finish the meal to take back the plates, however Okonkwo offers Ezinma, a daughter who he wishes was a boy, part of his meal. It displays the special bond he shares with her.
Also, Foster spends three chapters discussing that all text is related and it is very rare to stumble upon a piece of literature that is completely original. It just really made me think of how many times I was introduced to the same ideas over and over again.
-Nicole S.
=)
YAY I AM FINALLY DONE READING THIS BOOK!
To be honest as I progressed further into the book I enjoyed it a lot more than before. I found it helpful and intriguing, giving some facts and some of the insights the author gave was very interesting. So I enjoyed it after all. =]
Alright, so I finished the second third and I just want to say that I never realized all the thinking that goes into a piece of literature sometimes. Obviously it's hard work and takes time, but who would've known that everything matters from if the character flies to where the story takes place as well as the season.
Also, I thought back to the rain in One Hundred Years of Solitude, however I'm still a little confused even though Foster explained all the different things that rain symbolizes.
And, I really like that Foster uses examples from texts. Some of them sound quite interesting.
-Nicole
So far, I really like this book. It's really been helping me interpret books easier now. I know what to look for now and from now on I simply won't be just "reading a book".
Going back to what Lauren said about the chapter of food, I never knew food had so much meaning! I meanign I love food, and I would always get excited when an author described a scene with food in great detail haha, but now I know that there is a whole big explanation behind that. This book is really going to help me out in the future.
I must say that "How To Read Literature Like A Professor" has really helped me understand what's going on in between the lines of the text. I feel as though I'll now be able to grasp the author's thoughts quicker and more sufficiently. Before reading this book I'd be reading and completely overlook something so obvious and important, but now I know what to look for and how to as well.
-Nicole.
I've just finished up to chapter 12, and I have to say I've been pleasantly suprised with how the book is written.
Contrary to my opinion on The Remains of the Day, I don't mind Foster's use of the word "one" to describe himself. Also, I really like how easy it is to go trough each chapter and be excited for the next. Foster has taken, what I foresaw to be a difficult and boring task, and turned it into something fun and interesting.
I've never really realized how closely woven literature is. It never occured to me that most of the plotlines that we see, in not only literature, but in movies and other forms of entertainment, come from mainly two places.
Also, I never realized how much really went into writing. It hit me, I think, when Foster said, "The few pages of this chapter have taken you a few minutes to read; they have taken me, I'm sorry to say, days to write." (85)I've always thought of writing as a release that was, needless to say, quick and easy. But apparently, I was very wrong.
So far, this is my favorite on the list of book we have to read. I'm looking forward to finishing it soon.
I was also, like Casey, surprised that writting only a few pages would take so long. And, I would also have to agree that this is my favorite book on the reading list.
I know that reading this book will greatly impact, in the good way, the way I look at texts now.
So far, I've read up til page 104, after the symbolism chapter.
And, surprisingly, it really has been entertaining. Unlike On Writing Well, this one is easy to read and uses a lot more intersting examples.
A lot of the stuff he says makes sense, like the quoting from teh three main sources. At first, i didn't see any stories that could fit in with, say, Hansel and Gretal. But after the example of the rich couple lost in on the streets - I realized how what he said really is true.
I also liked the chapter on symbolism. I had always thought that an author creates a symbol for a specific reason/meaning - like for Animal Farm - but after reading the chapter, it seems as if it is more up to the person and thier impression to decide what it really means. -but i still think some symbols have a pretty set meaning...
Ok.. off to read some more,
-Winnie
In chapter 2 NICE TO EAT WITH YOU:ACTS OF COMMUNION Foster mentions how in the Henry Fielding book Tom Jones (1749) the eating scene that is described implies some other type of communion. Based on the verbs chomping, gnawing,sucking, licking,slurping, etc there is something else that is definitely going on. The same thing happens in Edith Wharton's, Ethan Frome, in the eating scene between Ethan and Mattie, the one with the pickles and doughnuts(people in Ms.Day's class know what im talking about). So at first i thought that Foster was just writing another one of the books that writers write when they believe that they have certain secrets to literature and education when really its only there opinion. But after i read this part and was able to apply my own experience were a novel that i read also had this same exact meaning as the one that he mentioned i began to believe him more.=] So i enjoy that he makes many references to support his ideas because it allows me to understand what he is saying since i can use my own previous knowledge and experiences while reading to link his examples to some of my own.
I've been reading like a maniac, and I've enjoyed every second of it. Foster's style of writing is truly inspiring. He uses just enough wit to make his audience laugh, but not so much that he sounds immature or unintelligent.
So far I'm on page 184, I stopped right after "...So Does Season." At the beginning of the chapter, Foster quotes one of his favorite poems. Then, he tells the reader to say it aloud a few times, to hear how "wonderful" it sounds. Now, me being the overwhelming poetry freak I am, I stopped reading completely, and recited it out loud I think four times. I was mildly disheartened when my mom questioned what it was, exactly, that I was doing. But, I ended up seeing what Foster meant.
Foster's examples always perfectly suit his topic. It's a little bit crazy if you think about the amount of time he must have spent trying to fit quotes and anecdotes into the basic workings of the novel.
I look forward to finsihing the book soon.
I'll post soon
--Casey
I agree with Casey. His writing style makes the reader enjoy the book, and gives information at the same time. I almost forgot that this book is actaully supposed to teach me how to interpret literature.
However, the chapter on Shakespeare; I was completely lost. I still find it very difficult to interpret Shakespeare.
I'm almost done with the book and I love it This book has really helped me alot.
Ok. I’ve just finished the one story chapter… since I’m 2/3’s done with the book, I decided to blog again..
I have to say, first of all, that I really like the chapter titles. Their funny, and make no sense until after you finish reading. But once your done, just looking at the title can give you a gist/prompt of what the chapter was about… for example.. “now, where have I seen her before”.
After reading through so many chapters, I realize how much I didn’t understand in so many of the books I’ve read in the past. I never realized how many “quest” novels I’ve really seen.. Any typical high school drama – with a school bully can basically be seen as one. Also, though I knew that authors always write things for a reason – I still couldn’t always understand the deeper message.
(Also, when he mentions the sun also rises and how the title is fitting… I couldn’t help but think back to Ms. Pettits class when we were trying to figure out the title. It made no sense then… but I get it now! Though they have gone through the war and live disillusioned lives, the sun still rises everyday…)
And though, I still probably won’t get everything, I know now to look deeper whenever I see, rain, water, submersion, snow, flying, eating, monsters, fairy tale elements, violence, and even sex. Especially with flight and water/rain, I never knew that they were representative of freedom and baptism/cleansing. Especially since I’m not a Christian, the chapter on baptism, the bible, along with the check off list of what to look for in a Christ-figure really did help.
What I especially like about this book is its informal, almost conversational tone and its many examples used to convey his point. –First of all the summaries themselves are entertaining, and secondly, examples really help me to understand the points… I need the visualization! But… the examples do get a little repetitive sometimes, since he explains them every time he reuses it.
Oh well,
Until the next blog,
-Winnie
So, I just finished How to Read Literature Like a Professor, and I have to say it suprised me.
After awhile of reading the book, I noticed that I didn't feel like I was reading a book on how to read other books; it felt like I was reading analysises of certain books. I started to feel like his examples were very narrow, and almost binding.
I don't know if it was just me, but I felt almost force-fed his points.
Almost all of Foster's points were extremely valid, I just wish he would have left some wiggle room for some of them.
I have to say, I love voice that Fosters applies to this novel, which is so like a mentor to a pupil and yet so simple, avoiding the overbearing formalities that would confuse some and make his teachings so hard to take in. Like many of you have said, the book really opened my eyes to the many hidden gates of literature and the techniques or hidden gems that many writers and readers alike search for within various texts such as mythological references, characters quests, and weather implications.
So far, there hasn't been a chapter of which I have hated. In fact, it is the most informative book I’ve read so far.
In hindsight, these gems almost seem too obvious to have been missed in past readings of novels and such.
Foster includes well placed hints to transitions between chapters throughout the novel, such as for example referencing to or connecting symbols in one chapter previous to transitioning to the importance of symbols in the next chapter.
Also, I found helpful Foster’s use of various known and not so well known examples to allow the reader for a better understanding of his message.
From readings about quests, the other day the Lord of the Rings was on and I tried to apply the notion of quests into it, which was quite fun as it was entertaining.
I can’t wait to read the upcoming chapters.
I’m glad to say that I’ve finally finished the book and this is my LAST blog!! Woot…
Ok. So my final comments. I, like everybody else, really liked the test case at the end of the chapter. It was a good way to sum everything up and put the techniques to use.
However, my interpretation was like that of inbetween college freshman and the history major person. I definitely didn’t see any signs of Demeters/Hades… I saw the “bird” references… but couldn’t quite figure out what it meant. Because… after reading the chapter when I thought anything related to flight/birds meant freedom from restraints and ect… didn’t think to look beyond that… But.. I was glad when I got some of the references, like the struggle/tension between social classes, and the movement into a darker territory when he describes Laura’s movement down into the lower classes. I was proud when I got some of the messages but I know now and knew before that I have a LONG way to go before I could read with such insights and/or “like a professor”.
Still.. this book did help me a lot to understand what is meant/implied when an author includes, say, eating, violence, ect. It really opened my eyes more to what I’ve missed in so many of the books I read. Too bad I didn’t read this before 100 years of solitude.. It might have helped a lot in picking up on symbolism and ect.
Oh well.
Ok, Toodles til school starts,
Winnie
I'm still greatly enjoying this guide. The book continues to deliver with its easily
understandable and personal diction and the many interrelated examples Foster uses. Foster seems to refer constantly to examples in previous chapters such as "Beloved" or the flight of Icarus among other Greek shout outs, and this overall seems to help the reader to build a greater understanding of these stories and how his knowledge can be applied to them.
The novel has helped me clear up a few questions regarding previously read novels such as “The Old man and the Sea” or “The Sun Also Rises”. For example, I see clearly the resemblance between the Old fisherman and a Christ like figure, and also, I see now the fertility aspect that resides within The Sun Also Rises. In the future I will be sure to pay closer attention to such aspects. Also, I did not know geography had such an effect on a piece of literature.
The novel did a great in explaining the importance of political related novels, of which I find incredibly dull and lack luster. I know now to pay closer attention to other literary aspects of these novels besides the political aspect.
Now, off to learn of the significance of illness.
Danielle
When i was reading the chapter on seasons i found it very interesting.This was on of the first times in the guide that i could make a connetion to "real life" very easily. This chapter talked about how spring represents "childhood and youth" which is easy to understand and see where writers get their ideas from when trying to put all of these symbolic meaning behing even the smallest things in a novel. So it doesnt take much thought to know when thinking about spring one thinks about flowers blooming,rain,Easter,baby chicks hatching,etc so thats where the idea of childhood and youth comes from.
Next summer which represents "adulthood and romance and fulfillment and passion" can also easily relate to why a writer would choose this time of year as a setting in a scene or novel to display to the reader the many things that are affiliated with summer like late nights,freedom,hotness, beaches,etc.
Next, autumn which goes along with 'decline and middle age and tiredness but also harvest." And winter which i think also goes along in a way leading to winter and the things that are in literature represented by winter which are "old age and resentment and death." Since winter is at the end and less jolly cause of the cold and such i can easily see how a writer would set a scene in this time to signify the many things that are associated with winter.
I remember this poem i read one time and now that i am more aware on how seasons relate to literature,i can recall how the poem started in the spring but as time went on you could see the seasons changing but also the maturing of a boy to an old man.Before i had the slightest idea why the seasons seemed to coincide with the growing of the boy but now i do!
So from now on i guess its a good idea to pay attention to seasons as well as the events that occur during those seasons.
The last few chapters of this guide share with the reader much insight of which should be applauded. With the connections between heart attacks and emotional heartaches, to reading between the lines and from the eyes of another, Foster delivers his final insights to be integrated into our own minds. I applaud Foster for not only providing examples by which we readers can understand clearly and say “oh, I get it”, but for also defining terms such as deconstruction (229) for one and improving our literary vocabulary as students and Lit. Students.
I thought it quite clever to put the reader’s skills to the test with the “Test Case” and I found the short story entertaining among other things. Like Winnie, I did not notice the Greek similarities that could be found in the story, but after reading Foster’s notes and looking back at the guide, I thought it was a little foolish not to pick up on that aspect (Since Foster seemed to have the habit of finding Greek mythological similarities in all his stated examples over the course of the guide). But I see the comparison.
I thought Foster was smart in putting a section for Irony at the end of the book, since Irony causes trouble for some. It was a nice reminder for myself. I definitely have found this guide useful.
Throughout the novel I have marked important information and plan over the week to transfer them from guide to computer notes, to then give a home to them in my Eng. Binder for future reference, being such awesomely awesome notes.
Danielle E.
So, like everyone else, I think Foster is a great Author. The few previous How-To books I've read have left me Scared, to be honest. LIke the Gatekeepers. Though it was meant to be helpful, it only scared the pants off me. Siimilarly this summer I read the How-To get succesful book--"Mindset" though this did teach me quite a lot about myself, it still scared me "What! I'm a fixed mindset! Oh no what will I do!!"
However, Fosters stlye and examples, like everyones favorite, food, helps the readers feel comfortable. At points in the book I forgot i wasn't reading for just fun. It is interesteing to see how Foster outlines his breakdkown of a book and how everything we never stop to think about can change the tone or feel of the book. Each of his chapters is set up to deal with something very specific and that helps the reader to follow along and build up thier understanding piece by piece.
But to continue, I was reading one of George's blogs about the symbools and how his interpretation of what a symbol is meant for is different than Fosters. I'd ahve to agreee with Foster in that a symbol can be differnt to other people. Even beyond the main theme that everyone understands, I believe that each book offers something perosanlly to its seperate readers and teaches them something about themselves. So it is easy to believe that a symobl wil deal with many different aspects of life, based on the reader-what they've gone through or lived will definitly influence thier abilty to interpret a symbol. The dying sun can mean a hundred differnt things to 50 different people.
At this spoint, i think Foster's handling the book very well, and its a fun read for now.
So I finished the book. I really liked it alot. The author really knew how to break it down and still made it enjoyable to read. I'm also glas tha we will have copies to refer to this year because this book has been such a great help. I think from now on in the future, I can honestly say I have read a book and understood it completly.
a bit sketchy-but i only got the book yesterday so...i find the tone of the book very "readable" and makes the book suprisingly enjoyable for me. i can already relate with what foster says about comparing characters to others in literature as i do that all the time to visualise the characters in the novels i read.
sorry for posting simultaneously but i've got no choice. okay-what foster relates by saying that coover forces us to see how are responses are already conditioned by our previous encounters with the fairy tale is also interesting. its interesting to note that we are already biased towards certain characters no matter how small their transgressions and so when the story (fairy tale in this case) ends up not ending the way we expected, it plays on our emotions.
another chapter that raised my eyebrows was the "its all about sex" and i found the comparisons and slight inferences in both 'Janus' and 'North by Northwest' at first without regarding them-but then after seeing it in the light of the author-i can not believe i had not previously seen these clear inferences-as he said they almost make it dirtier than showing the whole thing (in the movies) after reading this book-i dont think am ever going to look at literature the same again-its a real eye-opener. Kudos to the author. see you tomorrow Miss Clapp
When i arrived at the test case i guess what Foster was trying to convey to the reader was put to the test. So when i arrived at this chapter i really realized that my reading awareness changed thanks to all the information that Foster displayed in the book along with his many examples. So i knew that his teachings had impacted me. As i was reading the Test Case i found that constantly every little thing i was like wait this means this or symbolizes this from the description of the weather and the mention of the types of flowers. So i guess his guide really did help me. It caused me to become a more aware reader so we'll see if when im reading other works of literature if these hints travel with me so i will be able to get a deeper meaning of novels.
I enjoyed the guide though i really felt that it taught me alot that i didnt know about all the symbolic and importance of certain events and thinhgs that are likely to happen in novels. I think that with these hints that were exposed to me that i will be able to enjoy books more rather than getting lost in all the literary symbols and all the hidden messages that exist in literature. Im looking forward to reading another book soon to test my newly learned skills.
=]SEE EVERYONE TOMORROW!!
Although I enjoy reading this how-to. It leaves me with a thought-Foster does have more than a few guidelines that he makes seem like requirements. Thusly my question would be that if a book doesn't adress all the things he wants us to look for does this mean that the author is lacking skill, discipline, and knowlegde of how to truly write a piece of literature that is worth reading.
Also, I touched on this in my last blog and also I agree with Will that if the reader gets a feeling about a book, symbol, or message than we should probally go with it. It's intresting how this idea crops up in to Foster's chapters about how it is important to use the reader's instincts.
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