How To Read Literature Like A Professor Essay - 1020 Words

Julia Hunnell Mrs. Mary Smith AP Literature 6 21 September 2017 What Are You Alluding To? In Thomas Foster’s book, â€Å"How to Read Literature Like a Professor,† readers learn how to look past the surface of a literary work to find a deeper or hidden meaning. Writers use devices, such as symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, irony and allusion to reveal these meanings. If these are overlooked, important aspects of the story can be lost. One literary device that Foster emphasizes in his book is allusion. Every story has elements of another story, and Foster devotes Chapters Four through Seven explaining the meaning of allusion in works by Shakespeare, the Bible, and fairy tales. In Chapter Four, Foster introduces the idea of allusion.†¦show more content†¦This connection to other works makes â€Å"our understanding of both works [become] richer and deeper.† Probably one of the most well-known books in the Western world is the Bible. There is a copy in many hotel drawers and almost every person has a general understanding of what the Bible says. The allusions that can come from the Bible, mentioned in Chapter Six, are almost endless, such as the garden, the devil, a Christ figure, great flood, seven days, 40 years, a betrayal, resurrection. Literary characters are given biblical names like Rebecca, Esther, and Jacob. Names are important in literature. They need to â€Å"carry whatever message the writer want[s] to convey about the character or the story.† If you come across a biblical name, pay close attention because it could be pointing you to something bigger. Foster also says that if a story is trying to allude to the Bible, it will â€Å"seem to be beyond the scope of the story’s or poem’s immediate dimensions.† In the story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† a character has a cup, like the cup o f God’s fury. This is meant in the context of Sonny, who has been to jail and has had drug problems. The cup that he drinks from is representative of him straying from the straight and narrow path and possibly going back into his addictive behaviors. The cup also represents that the whole of America has drunk from the cup and couldShow MoreRelatedHow I Read Literature Like A Professor Essay1141 Words   |  5 PagesBrylan Beard Mrs. Mary Smith Ap Literature 20 September 2017 How to Read Literature like a Professor Essay This essay will be about the analyzing of literary devices that are discussed in this book. The professor in the book thoroughly describes these devices and the allusions and symbols that are involved in literature over the centuries. I will be discussing the specifics of the allusions and symbols of the bible and the Christ like figures in literature. The first device I will be describingRead MoreEssay about How to Read Literature Like a Professor1562 Words   |  7 PagesHow to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster Chapter Reflections Introduction: How’d He Do That? * How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern. * When reading literature: memory, symbol, and pattern help you understand the text better. 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