How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Introduction: How'd He Do That?
Memory, symbol, and pattern are three things that a reader, but more likely a professor, finds in a work of literature. Professors believe everything to be a symbol of something. Literature is full of identifiable patterns, the small details less important, that allow a skilled reader to better understand a work or more complicated literature. It takes practice to identify these patterns and forms. My appreciation of The Great Gatsby was enhanced greatly when my English class dove into the concept of color symbolism. I no longer viewed the story as just a tragic love story, but I found a deeper meaning from the green light at the end of the dock and white attire worn by Daisy Buchanan.
Chapter 1:”Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)”
Literature involving a quest follows a structure.
Five Aspects of the QUEST:
Mulan
Our quester: Mulan is a young woman. She is the daughter of a father who is called to go to war, but is wounded.
A place to go:
A group called the Huns have invaded, so Mulan must take the place of her father in the army.
A stated reason to go there:
One man from each family is required to go and fight, and Mulan is the only child. Her father is unable to go and fight.
Challenges and trials:
Women are not allowed to fight in the war, and Mulan is a woman. She must hide this identity. She is forced to cut her hair and steal armor and a horse to go to training camp. It's during a battle that her gender is truly revealed, though her life is spared because she has just saved the rest of the group from death. She is told to go home, but finds a way to save more lives and ends up being honored by all.
The real reason to go:
Mulan is told that she will never find a match or a mate. She is considered a disgrace, so this quest is an opportunity for Mulan to discover who she really is and her purpose in life, and to do something meaningful and brave. This is a quest for 'self-knowledge.'
Chapter 2: "Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"
Chapter two expresses the idea that 'whenever people eat or drink together, it's communion.' (Foster 8). Foster explains that the word communion can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In the novel and film The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the author more than once places the two tributes from District 12 and their mentor at a table sharing a meal together. This follows the idea of communion that "breaking bread is an act of sharing and peace" (Foster 8). Ultimately, the rules of the Hunger Games state that there can only be one champion hence one of the tributes must be killed by the other, but in the time leading up to the games Collins brings the tributes together especially through the sharing of meals. Eating together forms a bond and makes a statement about their friendship.
Chapter 5: "Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?"
The dialogue between old texts and new texts, or the ongoing interaction between poems or stories is intertexuality. Foster states that intertexual dialogue "deepens and enriches the reading experience, bringing multiple layers of meaning to the text, some of which readers may not even consciously notice" (34). The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is related to the crucifixion of Christ with the redemption of a character. Wicked was inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Knowing the story of The Wizard of Oz is somewhat crucial to fully understanding Wicked. A third example is West Side Story by Arthur Laurent. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet relates to this story and helps with understanding both girls being forbidden to love the man they truly want to love.
Chapter 7: “…Or the Bible”
The narrator of the story had a house that was previously owned by a priest. The backyard holds a garden and an apple tree. There are also many other religious terms in the story that are biblical allusions. The two jars act as guards, or guardian angels that keep the boy from buying something. They keep him from the ‘evil’ of the girl and what she really wants from him.
Chapter 8: “Hanseldee and Greteldum”
Ella Enchanted is a book that was also made into a movie. It reflects the fairy tale story of Cinderella. It is parallel to Cinderella with fairies, gnomes, ogres, giants and the main character being a young women forced to follow the instructions of a non-biological mother who is very demanding and unkind. I think it creates a deeper appreciation of the Cinderella story, with the extra emphasis on the forced obedience.Chapter 11:
There are two different categories of violence found in literature. The first is a specific injury. This includes stabbings, drownings, bombings, shootings, etc. These injuries or deaths add mystery and layers to a literary work. The second category of violence is narrative violence that causes characters harm in general. This adds plot advancement or thematic development, but is solely due to the author and not their characters.
Chapter 9: “It’s Greek to Me”
I spy you, the siren on the rocks, sweetly urging I knew then that must be the course to take, to the song so sweet, to the face so fair, lovely I set sail the way of your voice and your beauty
Now I have become temptations fool, yet again you lured my ship where I swore never to return and all so easily done, again you make me weep as the tempest turns my ship and soul asunder
lashing against the waves of emotion that surge against my dreams and my soul where is Poseidon when you need his aid? not here on the deck of my lost sinking vessel
I have no more sails left to unfurl and take me home not one anchor left to dropp and hold me steady nothing but raging seas that wet me and numb my senses all the lifeboats have been taken with none left for me.
I am sinking now, to the depths of the sea to death looking upward at the surface I see your smile break the waves Are you smiling a sad smile? Do you regret my drowning heart?
Once again I give you the benefit of the doubt, as I die, hoping...
Nicky McNeil
Sirens are the main theme in this poem. They have a huge impact serving as a symbol of captivation, and irresistibility. The sirens are so irresistible that they lead to death.
Chapter 11: “…More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence”
There are two kinds of violence found in literature. Character caused violence and death and suffering that the characters aren’t responsible for. Character caused violence includes stabbings, shootings, drowning, bombing, poisonings, etc. The other kind of violence includes accidents. The effect from the two types of violence is different. The accidental violence usually holds a deeper meaning than the character caused violence.
Chapter 12: “Is That A Symbol?”
The fence that Mangan’s sister stands behind holds a great amount of symbolism. I believe the fence stands to separate Mangan’s sister from the main character of this story. It’s an obstacle between the boy and his crush. There is constantly an obstacle between the two, literally and metaphorically. It distances the characters, and keeps them from being close to one another. The distance is kept literally with the fence, but metaphorically with the unequal feelings and emotions of the two characters.
Chapter 14: “Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too”
Gandalf the grey is a major character in The Lord of the Rings. He is considered to be a 'Christ Figure.' Gandalf is known to be self-sacrificing, known to have spent time alone in the wilderness, has followers (disciples), and good with children. All of the attributers set Gandalf apart from other characters in Lord of the Rings as a 'Christ Figure.'
Chapter 15: “Flights of Fancy”
In the film Argo, flight is a symbol of freedom. Americans working at the American Embassy in Iran are hidden in the Canadian Embassy after an invasion by Iranians into the American Embassy. The climax of the movie is when the plane flight from Iran to Canada takes off, and the Americans finally know they are safe and free. They are no longer trapped in Iran and in danger. The shot of the plane flying away and into the clouds symbolizes their freedom and escape.
Chapter 18: “If She Comes Up It’s Baptism”
In V for Vendetta, one of the main characters, Evey, is in a 'baptism scene.' Evey is trapped and controlled by the government at the beginning of the literary work. Initially she is controlled out of fear of the government, and later she is imprisoned. The down pour of rain after the imprisonment is a baptism and symbolizes a rebirth of Evey. She transitions into a new woman, a woman without fear.
Chapter 19: “Geography Matters…”
Foster classifies an setting or detail that has to do with the characters and their surroundings as geography. Geography aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are quite clear. The setting of this book is in Alabama, making racism a big issue in that area and in To Kill a Mockingbird. The story takes place in is a small town. In small towns, everyone is familiar with everyone, so characters are familiar with each other. This small town characteristic is important to the story. Within this town is the Radley House that contains Boo Radley. This house is described as an uneasy, worrisome home. Boo Radley is automatically thought to be mean and feared by others because of this geographical detail. A final geographical aspect of To Kill A Mockingbird is another detail of Boo Radley’s house. The poorly kept yard serves to show that the house needs some care and attention, which also holds true with Boo Radley.
Chapter 20: “…So Does Season”
Nothing So Rare as a Day in June
Nothing so rare as a day in June,
the air so fine and the blossoms all blue.
The weather just perfect, the skies never gray
The bugs always buzzing and the tree's seem to sway
The sun beats so warmly on the tenderness of my skin,
and the birds..they fly, far away in the wind,
June is the month that carries a tune,
it's beautiful melody floats like a balloon.
Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/nothing-so-rare-as-a-day-in-june#ixzz3CDU8CQuq
Spring often refers to growth, which is very prominent in this poem. The poem uses the symbolism of spring in a very traditional way. The poem is also very positive and full of hope. June, being a transition from spring to summer, helps this poem include the traditional symbolism of freedom that comes with the summer season.
Chapter 26: “Is He Serious? And Other Ironies”
Irony is used in many ways. A comedic interpretation of irony in She's the Man, that is based off Shakespeare's the Twelfth Night, keeps a reader on edge and anxious. It adds comedy to the story, and makes the work more enjoyable for a reader/viewer. Irony plays a huge role in this work, with the reader 'knowing all' and the characters unaware with deception and secrets.
Chapter 27: “A Test Case”
First Question: What does the story signify?
I think Mansfield uses this story to signify the naivety of youth. Mansfield shows how youth can be manipulated so easily and distracted. He uses the elements of peer pressure, and manipulation with friendships and gifts.
Second Question: How does it signify?
I think Mansfield uses the hat to show the focus youth have on things that truly don’t matter and ties that into the end with the contrast of the hat with death. The statement “Forgive my hat” (Mansfield) and the object of a hat is highlighted in this story. The statement seems so ridiculous at a dead man’s bedside, and the hat so insignificant. The statement shows the naivety of the young girl, but also shows a moment where some of that naivety is lost.
Compared to the examples, I would way my interpretation of Mansfield’s story was inaccurate. I completely missed the flight and biblical aspect. The essays that compared Laura with Persephone really highlighted the Greek story. The essay helped me to appreciate the small missed details from my original reading of Mansfield’s story. Rather than just one story, Mansfield intertwined another story. I think it’s impressive when an author is able to accomplish that.
Introduction: How'd He Do That?
Memory, symbol, and pattern are three things that a reader, but more likely a professor, finds in a work of literature. Professors believe everything to be a symbol of something. Literature is full of identifiable patterns, the small details less important, that allow a skilled reader to better understand a work or more complicated literature. It takes practice to identify these patterns and forms. My appreciation of The Great Gatsby was enhanced greatly when my English class dove into the concept of color symbolism. I no longer viewed the story as just a tragic love story, but I found a deeper meaning from the green light at the end of the dock and white attire worn by Daisy Buchanan.
Chapter 1:”Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)”
Literature involving a quest follows a structure.
Five Aspects of the QUEST:
Mulan
Our quester: Mulan is a young woman. She is the daughter of a father who is called to go to war, but is wounded.
A place to go:
A group called the Huns have invaded, so Mulan must take the place of her father in the army.
A stated reason to go there:
One man from each family is required to go and fight, and Mulan is the only child. Her father is unable to go and fight.
Challenges and trials:
Women are not allowed to fight in the war, and Mulan is a woman. She must hide this identity. She is forced to cut her hair and steal armor and a horse to go to training camp. It's during a battle that her gender is truly revealed, though her life is spared because she has just saved the rest of the group from death. She is told to go home, but finds a way to save more lives and ends up being honored by all.
The real reason to go:
Mulan is told that she will never find a match or a mate. She is considered a disgrace, so this quest is an opportunity for Mulan to discover who she really is and her purpose in life, and to do something meaningful and brave. This is a quest for 'self-knowledge.'
Chapter 2: "Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion"
Chapter two expresses the idea that 'whenever people eat or drink together, it's communion.' (Foster 8). Foster explains that the word communion can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In the novel and film The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the author more than once places the two tributes from District 12 and their mentor at a table sharing a meal together. This follows the idea of communion that "breaking bread is an act of sharing and peace" (Foster 8). Ultimately, the rules of the Hunger Games state that there can only be one champion hence one of the tributes must be killed by the other, but in the time leading up to the games Collins brings the tributes together especially through the sharing of meals. Eating together forms a bond and makes a statement about their friendship.
Chapter 5: "Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?"
The dialogue between old texts and new texts, or the ongoing interaction between poems or stories is intertexuality. Foster states that intertexual dialogue "deepens and enriches the reading experience, bringing multiple layers of meaning to the text, some of which readers may not even consciously notice" (34). The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is related to the crucifixion of Christ with the redemption of a character. Wicked was inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Knowing the story of The Wizard of Oz is somewhat crucial to fully understanding Wicked. A third example is West Side Story by Arthur Laurent. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet relates to this story and helps with understanding both girls being forbidden to love the man they truly want to love.
Chapter 7: “…Or the Bible”
The narrator of the story had a house that was previously owned by a priest. The backyard holds a garden and an apple tree. There are also many other religious terms in the story that are biblical allusions. The two jars act as guards, or guardian angels that keep the boy from buying something. They keep him from the ‘evil’ of the girl and what she really wants from him.
Chapter 8: “Hanseldee and Greteldum”
Ella Enchanted is a book that was also made into a movie. It reflects the fairy tale story of Cinderella. It is parallel to Cinderella with fairies, gnomes, ogres, giants and the main character being a young women forced to follow the instructions of a non-biological mother who is very demanding and unkind. I think it creates a deeper appreciation of the Cinderella story, with the extra emphasis on the forced obedience.Chapter 11:
There are two different categories of violence found in literature. The first is a specific injury. This includes stabbings, drownings, bombings, shootings, etc. These injuries or deaths add mystery and layers to a literary work. The second category of violence is narrative violence that causes characters harm in general. This adds plot advancement or thematic development, but is solely due to the author and not their characters.
Chapter 9: “It’s Greek to Me”
I spy you, the siren on the rocks, sweetly urging I knew then that must be the course to take, to the song so sweet, to the face so fair, lovely I set sail the way of your voice and your beauty
Now I have become temptations fool, yet again you lured my ship where I swore never to return and all so easily done, again you make me weep as the tempest turns my ship and soul asunder
lashing against the waves of emotion that surge against my dreams and my soul where is Poseidon when you need his aid? not here on the deck of my lost sinking vessel
I have no more sails left to unfurl and take me home not one anchor left to dropp and hold me steady nothing but raging seas that wet me and numb my senses all the lifeboats have been taken with none left for me.
I am sinking now, to the depths of the sea to death looking upward at the surface I see your smile break the waves Are you smiling a sad smile? Do you regret my drowning heart?
Once again I give you the benefit of the doubt, as I die, hoping...
Nicky McNeil
Sirens are the main theme in this poem. They have a huge impact serving as a symbol of captivation, and irresistibility. The sirens are so irresistible that they lead to death.
Chapter 11: “…More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence”
There are two kinds of violence found in literature. Character caused violence and death and suffering that the characters aren’t responsible for. Character caused violence includes stabbings, shootings, drowning, bombing, poisonings, etc. The other kind of violence includes accidents. The effect from the two types of violence is different. The accidental violence usually holds a deeper meaning than the character caused violence.
Chapter 12: “Is That A Symbol?”
The fence that Mangan’s sister stands behind holds a great amount of symbolism. I believe the fence stands to separate Mangan’s sister from the main character of this story. It’s an obstacle between the boy and his crush. There is constantly an obstacle between the two, literally and metaphorically. It distances the characters, and keeps them from being close to one another. The distance is kept literally with the fence, but metaphorically with the unequal feelings and emotions of the two characters.
Chapter 14: “Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too”
Gandalf the grey is a major character in The Lord of the Rings. He is considered to be a 'Christ Figure.' Gandalf is known to be self-sacrificing, known to have spent time alone in the wilderness, has followers (disciples), and good with children. All of the attributers set Gandalf apart from other characters in Lord of the Rings as a 'Christ Figure.'
Chapter 15: “Flights of Fancy”
In the film Argo, flight is a symbol of freedom. Americans working at the American Embassy in Iran are hidden in the Canadian Embassy after an invasion by Iranians into the American Embassy. The climax of the movie is when the plane flight from Iran to Canada takes off, and the Americans finally know they are safe and free. They are no longer trapped in Iran and in danger. The shot of the plane flying away and into the clouds symbolizes their freedom and escape.
Chapter 18: “If She Comes Up It’s Baptism”
In V for Vendetta, one of the main characters, Evey, is in a 'baptism scene.' Evey is trapped and controlled by the government at the beginning of the literary work. Initially she is controlled out of fear of the government, and later she is imprisoned. The down pour of rain after the imprisonment is a baptism and symbolizes a rebirth of Evey. She transitions into a new woman, a woman without fear.
Chapter 19: “Geography Matters…”
Foster classifies an setting or detail that has to do with the characters and their surroundings as geography. Geography aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are quite clear. The setting of this book is in Alabama, making racism a big issue in that area and in To Kill a Mockingbird. The story takes place in is a small town. In small towns, everyone is familiar with everyone, so characters are familiar with each other. This small town characteristic is important to the story. Within this town is the Radley House that contains Boo Radley. This house is described as an uneasy, worrisome home. Boo Radley is automatically thought to be mean and feared by others because of this geographical detail. A final geographical aspect of To Kill A Mockingbird is another detail of Boo Radley’s house. The poorly kept yard serves to show that the house needs some care and attention, which also holds true with Boo Radley.
Chapter 20: “…So Does Season”
Nothing So Rare as a Day in June
Nothing so rare as a day in June,
the air so fine and the blossoms all blue.
The weather just perfect, the skies never gray
The bugs always buzzing and the tree's seem to sway
The sun beats so warmly on the tenderness of my skin,
and the birds..they fly, far away in the wind,
June is the month that carries a tune,
it's beautiful melody floats like a balloon.
Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/nothing-so-rare-as-a-day-in-june#ixzz3CDU8CQuq
Spring often refers to growth, which is very prominent in this poem. The poem uses the symbolism of spring in a very traditional way. The poem is also very positive and full of hope. June, being a transition from spring to summer, helps this poem include the traditional symbolism of freedom that comes with the summer season.
Chapter 26: “Is He Serious? And Other Ironies”
Irony is used in many ways. A comedic interpretation of irony in She's the Man, that is based off Shakespeare's the Twelfth Night, keeps a reader on edge and anxious. It adds comedy to the story, and makes the work more enjoyable for a reader/viewer. Irony plays a huge role in this work, with the reader 'knowing all' and the characters unaware with deception and secrets.
Chapter 27: “A Test Case”
First Question: What does the story signify?
I think Mansfield uses this story to signify the naivety of youth. Mansfield shows how youth can be manipulated so easily and distracted. He uses the elements of peer pressure, and manipulation with friendships and gifts.
Second Question: How does it signify?
I think Mansfield uses the hat to show the focus youth have on things that truly don’t matter and ties that into the end with the contrast of the hat with death. The statement “Forgive my hat” (Mansfield) and the object of a hat is highlighted in this story. The statement seems so ridiculous at a dead man’s bedside, and the hat so insignificant. The statement shows the naivety of the young girl, but also shows a moment where some of that naivety is lost.
Compared to the examples, I would way my interpretation of Mansfield’s story was inaccurate. I completely missed the flight and biblical aspect. The essays that compared Laura with Persephone really highlighted the Greek story. The essay helped me to appreciate the small missed details from my original reading of Mansfield’s story. Rather than just one story, Mansfield intertwined another story. I think it’s impressive when an author is able to accomplish that.