Choose three of the following seven chapters and analyze a novel or short story you have read recently. Use these analytical tools to help increase the reader's comprehension of characterization, plot, setting, theme, etc. Be sure to use specific textual evidence to support your interpretation gleaned from using these tools. Remember to avoid listing or "pointing out" this information. You should analyze and look for the larger meaning created via the use of this technique.
- It's all Political
- When in doubt, it's from Shakespeare
- Yes, she's a Christ figure, too
- Or the Bible
- It is Greek to me
- Flights of Fancy
Foster strives to teach inexperienced readers “How to Read like a Professor” by giving the reader analytical tools to comprehend the story better. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, theses tools help to better understand the theme and setting of the short story. In Foster’s chapter “It’s All Political”, Foster explains how authors often use literary works to point out human problems. Jackson’s political agenda is not as straight forward as a problem of social shortcomings as Dickens’. Instead, Jackson points out the barbaric nature of humans and their actions to resolve seemingly meaningless problems. The “Lottery in June” controls the population to ensure that the “corn be heavy soon.” However the fact that “there’s always been a lottery” is more of a reason for the lottery for the villagers. Jackson points out that humans’ actions are dependent upon tradition instead of their own independent beliefs which helps to understand why the lottery takes place in the village at all and how they do not truly recognize the consequences of their own actions. Foster also explains biblical illusions in the “…Or the Bible” chapter. The main image of the lottery is the tattered black box that holds the names drawn for the lottery. The villagers are even fearful of the black box because “no one liked to upset the tradition” of the black box. Obviously, the black box is the visible symbol for the lottery as the cross is to Jesus’ crucifixion and Christianity as a whole. The strong symbol helps define the huge impact the lottery has on the village and how the village and its actions are based on the lottery like how Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross shaped the religion of Christianity. The actual crucifixion of Jesus is probably the most noticeable correlation between the Foster’s chapter entitled “Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too.” Once Mrs. Hutchinson was drawn for the lottery, the villagers “moved in on her” and a “stone hit her on the head.” Obviously, the villagers are beating Mrs. Hutchinson to death as was Jesus on the cross. Also, this crucifixion of Mrs. Hutchinson and its similarity to Jesus’ helps the reader to understand the short story. The villagers are sacrificing Mrs. Hutchinson to control the population as Jesus sacrificed himself for everyone’s sin. This helps to highlight the significance of the lottery by showing the sternness of it and harsh actions of the village to solve a simple problem compared to the crucifixion of Jesus. These analytical tools provided by Foster help to comprehend the meaning of “The Lottery” by evaluating the theme and setting of the short story which in effect imposes a larger impact on the reader since it gives the reader a more annotated story to enable the reader to comprehend the severity of the lottery better.
ReplyDeleteHow to Read Literature like a Professor gives the regular Joes the chance to understand the true message of a literary work. Though it may be forgettable, "A Fly Went By" by Mike McCintock has many contextual meanings throughout the short rhyming book. In Foster's chapter "Flights of Fancy", he explains that flight is an obvious symbol of freedom for the most part, and that it is also largeness of a spirit. "A Fly Went By", may seem simplistic, but in reality the short story is filled with hidden meanings. "I sat by the lake. I looked at the sky' and as I looked, a Fly went by" Though the boy does not experience flight directly, this is the instance when the size of a spirit is shown. Imagination is important in the means of demonstrating this instance. The flight of the fly is used to demonstrate at the begining the boys right to freedom, but not only the right to it, but how he uses it. Foster teaches in "It's all Political", that their are often underlying meanings to a story. "A Fly Went By" is no exception, and shows the difference between right and wrong. The boy has his freedom, from flight, but he exercises it in the means to help others. "I had to tell them not to fear. I had to tell them all was well" The boy has freedom, but in the sense of political meaning, he does what is morally right. All and all the boy comes to find out that every one is running from a baby sheep, or a lamb. Bringing a biblical sense into the story. Foster's chapter "Or the Bible", talks about symbols of the bible prominent throughout literature. "A Fly Went By" depicts the sheep in order to show safety and protection. For a Sheppard was present at the birth of Christ, and what could be more peaceful. "This is a sheep, so have no fear! The sheep wants help, for it is lame" The biblical reference is used to show protection, and a spiritual reward in the boys lengthy measures to protect all the animals. With the help of Foster, in analyzing "A Fly Went By" the reader is capable of experiencing the true meaning of the story and also creates a better understanding of it.
ReplyDeleteClayton Poffenberger
"How To Read Literature" is a useful guide for navigating the labyrinth that analytical reading entails. Within the chapter "Yes, she's a Christ figure, too", he explains that many heroes are based off of the characteristics of Christ. In the seventh Harry Potter, this is exhibited through Harry's self-sacrifice as he enters the Forbidden Forest in order to give himself up to Voldemort. Knowing that his death is at hand, Harry still chooses this path if it means the protection of his friends. His martyrdom is the perfect example of a Christ figure. There are also several other literary tools utilized in Harry Potter that are touched up on in How To Read Literature Like A Professor. In the chapter “Flights of Fancy”, Foster explains that flight is often a form of freedom or spiritual empowerment. This could not be more true for Harry Potter, who , from the moment he mounts a broomstick, feels a sense of empowerment and control that he had never felt until that point. In almost every book, flying represents a form of escape or freedom for Harry, such as his escape from the dragon in the fourth book or his sense of freedom in the first book, during his first match of Quidditch. Foster also lends a hand in identifying Greek references in his chapter “It is Greek to me”. It is not untrue to say that Harry Potter as aseries also shares some characteristics with Greek Mythology as well as Biblical. Harry is a classic case of a Greek tragic hero, each of which has a fatal flaw that eventually leads to their downfall. In Harry Potter, it is his unwillingness to hurt others that nearly gets him killed in the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and what leads to his near death in the first book, The Sorceror’s Stone, as well.
ReplyDeleteCatcher in the Rye by T. S. Eliot has largely been held up as a novel of teenage confusion and angst. However, some very adult theme, such as the ones outlined in How to Read Literature Like A College Professor, are present. In Eliot's work, 16 year old Holden Caulfield spends two days alone in 1951 New York City to hide the fact that he was kicked out from yet another school from his father. The socio- political message is there. Holden's generation can be considered lost. He didn't fight in a world war like many fathers or grandfathers of the time, nor does he belong with the baby booming years of the nuclear family. He is lost and wandering in his era. What the reader often fails to remember is that this smoking, drinking, prostitute buying boy is their age or younger. These actions, "engag[e] the realities of [his] world" and are not extremely aberrant in Holden's society (110). There are an indication of the times. Holden can also, according to Foster, can be a Christ figure. His hand is scarred and disfigured from punching through his garage windows; He is in agony because his life has no direction; He holds children up as the ideal and even weeps at their purity; He dreams of spending time completely secluded in the woods. As foster says, "If the indicators are there, then there is some basis for drawing the conclusion." (123). However, Holden has very few redeeming qualities, and the first thing we learn about him is that has been institutionalized. Holden didn't triumph in his journey, but his constant questioning of the world around him does lead the reader to make his draw conclusions. Holden is also in a state of flight. However, he's not flying for freedom, he's fleeing adulthood. But in his case, this is freedom; Freedom is escape. Holden idolizes his two younger siblings, even holding his deceased little brother up as a deity of sorts. When presented with a prostitute, he physically can't consummate the relationship. His dream occupation is to keep children from falling off a cliff while playing, which, in the context of the poem upon which the title is based, means shielding them from maturity. He is terrified of entering the adult world of "phonies", so he latches on to anything that represents the unchanged. He is in flight from an unavoidable foe- time.
ReplyDeleteA short story I recently read is “The Three Roses” using Foster’s methods to derive a deeper meaning it can be related to the "...or the Bible" chapter through the rose of Sharon, from songs of Solomon, which symbolizes the happiness of marriage. The rose is planted by the gardener on the day his wife died in memory of her and following roses on the anniversary of her death; each cultivated with his love of her and each “lovelier than the last”. He thinks of her everyday and his love for her is strong enough to withstand even death. From the "it's Greek to me" chapter looking into Greek mythology it is possible to relate this to the tale of Persephone where Persephone is taken away by the king of the under world every winter. The king in the story comes and takes away the reminder of his wife every time the rose the King took before dies, even after death takes her. The gardener can be seen as a Christ figure not only because he is a gardener which is a symbol for Christ, but also because of his all-encompassing compassion. As the roses die he will plant a new rose on the anniversary of his wife’s death at first he says it was because he was “afraid he might forget” her, but now he displays Christ's selflessness, consideration, and empathy, saying when asked why he does it that he “grow[s] them for the king” since the King has not known love and has no memories of it to call his own, so the gardener gives his to the king.
ReplyDeleteThough a summer reading assignment, Their Eyes Were Watching God serves as a solid example of the many symbols that can be embedded by the author in a work of literature. From a literary device/thematical standpoint, Zora Neale Hurston incorporates several element's of literature explored by Foster. The first topic explored by Foster in his novel that comes to mind is "It's All Political." Hurston's novel explores many social-political topics, many of which are impressed on the reader early in the novel. Janie's grandmother becomes the most significant symbol of the political limitations Janie could have fallen victim to, because she crushes Janie's aspirations, much like society can do to a person. This is interesting, since Hurston herself would experience this societal oppressment through accusations against her later in her career. It is important to remember that her grandmother's view of the black woman as essentially little more than "uh nigger and uh slave" brings out this political aspect of the novel, but not directly. This is the whole point of Foster's teaching, to find symbolism and connection that can be explained. Similarly, the chapter "Flights of Fancy" in How to Read Literature applies heavily to Their Eyes. Janie's spiritual and emotional aspirations for a brighter horizon are thick with symbolism on a fantasmic level. Janie's biblical, yet mythological thoughts about free will and the concept "that God had made the Man...out of stuff that sung all the time and glittered all over" reinforce the concept that her "spiritual flight" throughout the novel is a symbol of her present state of mind and view of her future horizon. Likewise, although it may seem cliche, Hurston's novel contains many Shakespearean romantic elements, a final analytical technique explored by Foster in "When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare." The conclusion of the novel is very reminisicent of Romeo and Juliet; whereby at least one lover, Tea Cake, meets his tragic end in profession of his love for his partner, Janie.
ReplyDeleteI read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini over the summer, but I failed to notice several underlying themes in the novel until I read How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I knew that religion had a role in The Kite Runner because it is the underlying source of class divisions in Afghanistan and other middle-eastern countries, but the "...Or the Bible" chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor outlined so many more religious allegories that I missed. The first sentence of said chapter says, "Connect these dots: garden, serpent, plagues, flood, parting of waters, loaves, fishes, forty days, betrayal, denial, slavery and escape, fatted calves, milk and honey" (47). I could honestly relate 11 out of those 13 allegories to a major theme in the novel, whether literally or metaphorically. I'm not going to list all the examples that I found for those, but it shocked me how closely related The Kite Runner was to the Bible, especially since it was written by a Muslim author. I also failed to notice the criticism of the political situation in Afghanistan that Hosseini portrayed through his book. Although the book is historical fiction, it is written as a memoir so the reader can experience the pains and struggles of the main character through his eyes, and this allows Hosseini to portray his opinion of the evolution of modern Afghani government through his characters. Finally, I noticed the symbolism of the protagonist’s, Amir’s, escape from a war torn Afghanistan in the back of a gasoline truck as being an abstract allegory to flight. In the “Flights of Fancy” chapter of HTRLLP, it says, in bold print, “flight is freedom” (128) and there is no better description for Amir’s escape than that.
ReplyDeleteA novel that Foster's How to Read Literature like a Professor thoroughly applies to is Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In Foster's chapter, "Flights of Fancy", he discusses that usually when a character(s) in a novel depart on some sort of a flight, it symbolizes freedom. Lord of the Flies begins with a group of British boys being evacuated by airplane during World War II. This flight is an apparent representation of freedom: freedom from war, freedom to a new life, and it foreshadows the freedom from authority experienced by the boys on the island. Another instance of how Foster's novel applies is his chapter, "Yes, she's a Christ figure, too." In Golding's novel, Ralph and the other boys capture and kill a pig and post his head on a stake, naming it "The Lord of the Flies." The Lord of the Flies is an understood symbol of Christ's crucifixion, and it proves Foster's point that any person or object can be considered a Christ figure. The final relation between How to Read Literature like a Professor and Lord of the Flies is found in Foster's chapter, "It's all Political." As the boys spend more and more time on the island, their respect for Ralph disappears and most of them resort to savagery. This sparks a fight between the two groups at the end of the novel. While Golding's novel is simply a story about a group of boys stranded on the island, his political underlying theme is that anarchy is unsuccessful and only creates violence. Golding points out that strong leadership found in government is necessary to control a population and prevent conflict.
ReplyDeleteThomas Foster uses a humorous and spirited way of conveying how literature can be interpreted. Despite his comical tone, he uses specific points that are easily understood by all.
ReplyDeleteIn Yann Martel's "Life of Pi," Piscine, or Pi, easily relates to "The Odyssey." He makes his journey on a boat and is essentially a fisherman, such like those heroes that were fishermen and farmers. Foster reminds us of, "...the potential for greatness that resides in all of us, no matter how humble our worldly circumstances."(69)Pi is almost a godly figure, fore he goes through many trials and succeeds. Pi, a castaway at sea, survives on fish, water, and turtle blood. Turtle blood is an excellent thirst quencher. Pi eating fish and drinking turtle blood are possible signs of the bible, even though Pi is not Christian. Foster says in reference to Christ, "...this list may be helpful:...9) believed to walk on water..."(119)Although Pi has not literally walked on water, he has spent almost a year at sea - through tough and calm times. Pi can be seen as a Christ-like figure.
“Rape, murder, and Mutilation” are the re-occurring acts in Dean Koontz’s Night Chills. This novel is focused on unfathomable control of a town in a very real and controversial manner of subliminal advertisement. The culprits are high ranking politicians and sociopathic scientist. Foster’s “It’s All Political” can be associated with this deep and disturbing almost propagandistic view of the American government. The line between fact and fiction is vague in Koontz’s obvious paradigm of modern day conspiracies and the basic and primitive desires, instinct, and needs. Paul Annandale, the protagonist of the story, is portrayed as a man who lost love by the death of his wife, but is coming to the realization of moving on. He is a very sensitive person, and can be analyzed to fit Foster’s “Christ figure” because of his savior like aura when trying to save the town of Black Water from mind control. Paul puts the needs of others in front of his own, and even when he is tempted by lust and the control over those affected by their subconscious tampering, he resist for the well being of the victim. “Or the Bible” can be a good start for comparing the happenings in the town to Sodom and Gomorra. Not so much was the town a town of sin, but that it had its own dirty laundry and skeletons in the closet. The doings of the antagonist brought to life these matters, and brought upon a new bought of utter control and involuntary openness.
ReplyDeleteThe novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an example of the analytical topics in Foster's "How to Read a Literature Like a Professor.” Foster’s chapter “Yes, she’s a Christ figure, too,” describes Hester’s incident of adultery. Foster states, “Institutions of higher learning can no longer blithely assume that everyone in class is a Christian, and if they do, it’s at their own risk” (118). In Hester’s Puritan society, her community is centered around the church however, when the community discovers her sin, they present her with a red “A” of humiliation. Also, “The Scarlet Letter” can be described in the chapter “Or the Bible”. When talking about the beginning of life, Foster says, “Every story about the loss of innocence is really about someone’s private reenactment of the fall from grace, since we experience it not collectively but individually and subjectively” (49). Hester was just an innocent soul in her community until the people found out about her adultery. When the people in her community gave her the red “A” they took away her innocent, which also invaded her privacy. Finally, “The Scarlet Letter” can be represented in the chapter “Flights of Fancy”. Foster states, “It’s pretty straightforward: flight is freedom” (128). When Hester finally escapes from society is when she takes her first flight of freedom. Also, when she removed the “A” without permission is her final flight of freedom from her society.
ReplyDeleteIn Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, one can fins many of Foster's topic. For example, "It's all political" can be used to understand the problem with the "equality." Vonnegut uses the story to show that all people are not created equal; people have different talents and strengths. Just because some people are not as smart as that does not mean we should place a handicap on their fellow citizens. He also shows the problems with governments becoming to powerful, even if it is for the good of the people. The dancers , in the novel, meet peace and happiness only after their weights are removed. "And then, in an explosion of joy and grace, into the air they sprang! Not only were the laws of the land abandoned, but the law of gravity and the laws of motion as well." They in a way flew off the ground, with their incredible dancing abilities and a sense of freedom.
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