How To Read Literature Like A Professor

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get so much more out of reading than others? Why they can discuss books with such depth and insight, while you're left feeling like you've only scratched the surface? Thomas C. Foster's "How To Read Literature Like A Professor" aims to bridge this gap, offering readers a toolkit to unlock the hidden depths of literary works.

This book isn't about speed reading or memorizing facts. Instead, it's about developing a new way of approaching literature that allows you to see beyond the surface narrative and into the rich tapestry of meaning woven by skilled authors. Foster, a seasoned literature professor, shares his expertise in a friendly, accessible manner, as if he's chatting with a curious student over coffee.

The Art of Literary Analysis

Foster introduces us to the concept of literary analysis, which he breaks down into three main categories: memory, symbols, and patterns. These elements form the foundation of how literature professors approach texts, and learning to recognize them can dramatically enhance your reading experience.

Memory: Making Connections

One of the key skills Foster emphasizes is the ability to make connections between different works of literature. This isn't about having an encyclopedic knowledge of every book ever written. Rather, it's about recognizing common themes, character types, and plot structures that appear across various works.

For example, you might notice that a character in a modern novel shares similarities with a classic Shakespearean hero, or that a contemporary story echoes themes from ancient mythology. By making these connections, you're not just reading one book – you're engaging with the entire literary tradition.

Symbols: Looking Beyond the Literal

Symbols are objects, characters, or events that represent something beyond their literal meaning. Foster encourages readers to be on the lookout for recurring elements in a story, as these often carry symbolic weight.

A simple example might be a rose, which could symbolize love, beauty, or even danger (think of the thorns). But symbols can be much more complex and specific to a particular work. The key is to ask yourself: "Why has the author chosen to include this particular detail, and what might it represent?"

Patterns: Recognizing Recurring Themes

Patterns in literature can take many forms. It might be a repeated phrase, a recurring situation, or a cycle of events that the characters go through. Recognizing these patterns can provide insight into the author's intentions and the deeper meanings of the work.

For instance, if a character keeps finding themselves in similar situations despite trying to change, this pattern might be commenting on the difficulty of breaking free from one's past or societal expectations.

The Quest: A Universal Story Structure

One of the most fascinating insights Foster provides is the idea that many stories, regardless of their surface plot, follow the structure of a quest. This structure, which dates back to ancient myths and legends, consists of five key elements:

1. A quester (the main character)
2. A destination
3. A stated reason for going there
4. Challenges and trials along the way
5. A real reason for the quest (often self-knowledge or growth)

Foster argues that this structure underpins countless stories, from epic fantasy adventures to seemingly mundane tales of everyday life. He uses the example of a trip to the grocery store – on the surface, a simple errand, but potentially a quest for something deeper (perhaps self-reliance or independence).

Understanding this structure can help readers see the deeper significance in stories that might otherwise seem trivial or straightforward. It encourages us to look beyond the stated goals of characters and consider what they're really seeking or learning along the way.

Intertextuality: The Conversation Between Texts

Foster introduces the concept of intertextuality – the idea that all literary works are in conversation with each other. No book exists in isolation; every author is influenced by what they've read, and every new work adds to the ongoing dialogue of literature.

This doesn't mean that authors are simply copying each other. Instead, they're building on, responding to, or subverting what's come before. Sometimes these references are obvious, like when a modern author directly retells a classic story in a new setting. Other times, the connections are more subtle – a shared theme, a similar character type, or an echo of a famous line.

Understanding intertextuality enriches our reading experience in several ways:

1. It helps us appreciate the author's skill and creativity in how they incorporate or reimagine existing ideas.
2. It allows us to see how literature evolves over time, with new works responding to and building on the old.
3. It gives us a deeper understanding of the themes and ideas being explored, as we see how different authors approach similar concepts.

Foster encourages readers to read widely and to be curious about the connections between different works. The more you read, the more of these connections you'll be able to spot, and the richer your understanding of each individual work will become.

The Power of Symbols

Symbols are a crucial tool in an author's arsenal, allowing them to convey complex ideas and emotions in a concise, powerful way. Foster dedicates significant attention to helping readers recognize and interpret symbols in literature.

He emphasizes that symbols aren't always obvious or universal. While some symbols have fairly standard meanings (like the seasons representing different stages of life), others are specific to a particular work or author. The key is to pay attention to elements that appear repeatedly or seem to carry special significance within the story.

Foster uses the example of the Mississippi River in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The river serves multiple symbolic functions in the novel:

1. It represents danger and destruction, as its floods can devastate communities.
2. It symbolizes freedom and escape for Jim, the runaway slave.
3. It acts as a boundary between civilization and wilderness.

By recognizing these symbolic meanings, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the themes Twain is exploring, such as the conflict between society's rules and individual freedom.

Foster also discusses how symbols have historically been used to discuss taboo subjects indirectly. He cites John Donne's poem "The Flea" as an example, where a flea becomes a symbol for sexual union, allowing the poet to explore erotic themes in a time when direct discussion of sex was forbidden.

The Importance of Setting

Setting is more than just a backdrop for the action of a story. Foster argues that it plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the characters and themes. He encourages readers to pay close attention to how authors describe the environment in which their stories take place.

The setting can influence the story in several ways:

1. It can reflect or contrast with the characters' emotional states.
2. It can symbolize larger themes or ideas in the work.
3. It can create a specific atmosphere or mood that colors the entire story.

Foster uses Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" as an example. The gloomy, decaying mansion mirrors the mental state of its inhabitants, creating a pervasive sense of dread and decay that's central to the story's horror.

Seasons and weather often carry symbolic weight in literature. Foster provides a general guide:

• Spring: youth, rebirth, new beginnings
• Summer: maturity, passion, fullness of life
• Autumn: decline, middle age, preparation for an ending
• Winter: old age, death, stagnation

However, he cautions that these associations aren't set in stone. Authors may use them conventionally or subvert them for effect. The key is to consider how the setting interacts with other elements of the story to create meaning.

The Role of Irony

Irony is a powerful tool that authors use to subvert readers' expectations and create deeper layers of meaning. Foster defines irony as occurring when there's a gap between what we expect to happen and what actually happens, or between what something appears to mean and what it really means.

He identifies several types of irony:

1. Verbal irony: Saying one thing but meaning another
2. Situational irony: When events turn out contrary to what was expected
3. Dramatic irony: When the audience knows something the characters don't

Understanding irony is crucial for grasping an author's intentions and the deeper meanings of a work. Foster uses several examples to illustrate how irony functions in literature:

1. In Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," the characters wait endlessly for someone who never arrives, subverting the typical narrative structure where anticipation leads to a climax.

2. In Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," a character commits suicide to escape from doctors who are supposed to help him, ironically inverting the expected role of medical professionals.

3. Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" uses an ironic title that subverts a warmongering poem, hinting at the anti-war themes of the novel.

Foster encourages readers to be alert for instances of irony, as they often point to the author's critique of social norms or expectations.

Reading as a Conversation

Throughout the book, Foster emphasizes that reading is not a passive activity. It's a dynamic conversation between the reader and the text, where meaning is created through active engagement and interpretation.

He encourages readers to:

1. Ask questions about what they're reading
2. Make connections to other works and to their own experiences
3. Consider multiple interpretations of events and symbols
4. Pay attention to their emotional responses and consider why the text affects them that way

This approach turns reading from a solitary activity into a rich, interactive experience. It allows readers to engage with the text on a deeper level, uncovering layers of meaning that might not be apparent on a surface reading.

The Universality of Literature

One of Foster's key points is that despite the vast diversity of literary works, there are certain universal themes and experiences that connect them all. These might include:

• Coming of age
• The search for identity
• Love and loss
• The conflict between individual desires and societal expectations
• The struggle against adversity

By recognizing these universal elements, readers can find points of connection even in works that seem far removed from their own experiences. This not only enhances understanding but also fosters empathy and broadens perspectives.

The Joy of Literary Detective Work

Foster presents literary analysis not as a dry, academic exercise, but as a form of intellectual detective work. He encourages readers to approach texts with curiosity and enthusiasm, looking for clues and making connections.

This approach can turn reading into a thrilling adventure of discovery. Each symbol decoded, each pattern recognized, each connection made to another work becomes a small victory, deepening the reader's engagement with the text and enhancing their enjoyment.

The Importance of Context

While Foster provides many tools for analyzing literature, he also emphasizes the importance of understanding the context in which a work was created. This includes:

• The historical and social conditions of the time
• The author's biography and other works
• The literary traditions and movements the work is part of or responding to

Understanding these contextual elements can provide valuable insights into why an author made certain choices and what they might have been trying to communicate.

Conclusion: A New Way of Reading

"How To Read Literature Like A Professor" is not about replacing the joy of reading with dry analysis. Instead, it's about enhancing that joy by providing tools to engage more deeply with texts. Foster's approach encourages readers to:

1. Be active participants in creating meaning
2. Look beyond the surface narrative to uncover deeper themes
3. Make connections between different works and to their own experiences
4. Approach reading with curiosity and enthusiasm

By adopting these strategies, readers can transform their relationship with literature. Books become not just stories to be consumed, but rich, multi-layered works to be explored and savored. This deeper engagement not only enhances enjoyment but also promotes critical thinking, empathy, and a broader understanding of the human experience.

Foster's book serves as an invitation to join the ongoing conversation of literature – a conversation that spans centuries and cultures, connecting us to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of countless others. By learning to read like a professor, we open ourselves up to a world of deeper understanding and richer experiences, not just in literature, but in life itself.

In the end, Foster's message is clear: reading is not just about understanding what's on the page. It's about engaging with the text, bringing our own experiences and knowledge to bear, and allowing ourselves to be changed by what we read. It's a skill that can be learned and improved with practice, opening up new worlds of meaning and enjoyment in every book we encounter.

So the next time you pick up a book, remember Foster's lessons. Look for patterns and symbols. Consider the setting and its implications. Be alert for irony and intertextual references. Ask questions and make connections. And above all, approach the text with curiosity and enthusiasm. You might be surprised at how much richer your reading experience becomes when you start to read like a professor.