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How to Read Literature Like a Professor

How to Read Literature Like a Professor. A summary of the book by Thomas Foster. “Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)”. “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion”. “ Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires”. Attractive Alluring Dangerous Mysterious

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor

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  1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor A summary of the book by Thomas Foster

  2. “Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)”

  3. “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion”

  4. “Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires” Attractive Alluring Dangerous Mysterious Focuses on beautiful, unmarried girls Thrives on their vitality They end up becoming like him

  5. If it seems Biblical, it probably is… • Garden of Eden • Serpent • Tree of Knowledge • Apple • Adam and Eve • Cain and Abel • Great Flood • Noah’s Ark • Abraham and Isaac • The Ten Commandments • The Ark of the Covenant • The plagues • The escape from Egypt • Dove/lamb • Baptism • Communion • Last Supper • Sacrifice • #40 • #7 • Thirty pieces • Betrayed with a kiss • Cross/crucifixion • Resurrection • The four horsemen • The Antichrist

  6. “weather is never just weather”

  7. Violence: 1. providesaction 2. causes plot complication3. ends plot complication4. creates stress Specific injury to characters Narrative violence Death and suffering authors introduce for plot advancement or thematic development (author is guilty, not characters) • Standard shootings, stabbings, poisonings, etc. for which the characters are guilty

  8. “Is That a Symbol?” YES

  9. Identifying a Christ figure: • Crucified, wounds in the hands/feet • Self-sacrificing • Good with children • Good with loaves, fishes, water, wine • 33 years old • Employed as carpenter • Known to use humble modes of transportation • Believed to have walked on water • Known to have spent time alone in the wilderness • Believed to have had a confrontation with the devil (tempted) • Last seen in the company of thieves • Creator of many aphorisms and parables • Buried, but arose on the third day • Had disciples (12 at first) • Very forgiving • Came to redeem an unworthy world

  10. If you are submerged in water and … • …you don’t come back up, you die • Your death is significant…see previous slides • …you emerge from the water, you are reborn. • But that doesn’t necessarily mean life is better

  11. “when writers send characters south, it’s so they can run amok” Low: High: Snow Purity Thin air Light Clean views Isolation Life Mount Olympus • Swamps • Crowds • Fog • Darkness • Heat • People • Death • The underworld

  12. Summer = vibrancy, life, youth, passion The Four Seasons: Spring = rebirth, resurrection, beginning, cleansing Winter = death, paralysis, loss, barrenness Fall = aging, ending, loss, decay

  13. Outward appearances can be important to characterization!

  14. Illness isn’t just illness: • Not all diseases are created equal Thus, for a prime literary disease: • It should be picturesque • It should be mysterious in origin • It should have strong metaphorical possibility

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