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Read Literature Like A Professor Essay

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In the novel How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C Foster elucidates the significance of sharing a meal with others, and how who is included in the communion directly clarifies what type of situation is occurring, whether it be peaceful or not. It is said that whenever people eat or drink together, it is considered to be a communion. In chapter one “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion” Foster states that the most common assumption that readers make when contemplating the subject of communions is that they assume the gatherings are religious, however that is not always the case. Generally communions are situations where intimate thoughts and feelings are shared primarily because the process of eating is particularly a personal …show more content…

By bringing in the reader and letting them witness the tension and conflict, Joyce attempts to do what most writers desire, let the reader feel as if they are actually there and included in that scene. Since the reader is so closely tied to the story and each minor detail, the reader realizes that the protagonist, Gabriel Conroy, shares something in common with the other characters seated at the table, as well as the reader themselves. “The thing we share is our death” (Foster 9). All of the characters in that room will eventually die and that is foreshadowed by the title of the book, however the characters in the novel are unaware of that. People also share similarities in the fact that everyone’s lives are different ranging from the major life changing events, to the tiny details at the surface that make up who you are. The activity of having dinner has numerous meanings that are either presented on the surface or deeply hidden beneath a few details, however the end goal is similar no matter which way the piece of literature is formatted, the author wants to convey to the reader that the characters are doing more than just eating, there are many factors at play, some of which have the ability to change the entire projected storyline of the

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How does How To Read Literature Like A Professor applies to every piece of literature? This novel is written by Thomas Foster and he gives the better understanding on many things, including patterns, symbols, and other literary devices. He helps the reader to gain knowledge on how to recognize each small detail of the story. This novel makes the connection with The Scarlet Letter and makes it easier to comprehend. The Scarlet Letter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; this novel is about Hester Prynne, who is a young and beautiful woman and committed adultery with town’s minister, Reverend Dimmesdale.

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In the introduction of “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” , Thomas C. Foster focuses on the grammar of literature and the qualities of a professorial reader. He asserts that practise is crucial to learn how to read literature in a more rewarding way. In addition, he defines main elements of the context such as pattern , symbols, and conventions. The purpose of Foster appears to be informing students who is beginning to be introduced to literature. Although Foster’s style is slightly condescending, he utilizes the conventions of literature quite well, and mentions the arbitrariness of these conventions in a sensible way.

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By reading “How to Read Literature like a Professor” and “The Kite Runner”, the reader is aided in his or her ability to understand the true meanings behind the text. One is able to decipher how the act of coming together to eat can mean anything from a simple meal with family, to an uncomfortable situation that leads to anger or stress in an individual character. The reader is able to understand the use of rain or other weather in a novel to transform the mood and tone of scene, or understand the cleansing or destructive qualities that weather may have on the overall plot of the story. The use of illness can be transformed, as it can lead to the reader discovering veiled means behind tuberculosis, cholera, a simple cold, or even cancers such

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800 Words | 4 Pages

Thomas Foster, a professor at the University of Michigan, taught literature and writing. He was born in West Cornfield, Ohio, and living in such a small town caused him to become very associated with books. In 2003, Foster published a book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, written in second person. The book is written as a guide for readers to know the parts of nonfiction books. It teaches young readers how to include important elements into their stories.

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650 Words | 3 Pages

Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor, is a thought provoking guide to reading literature. This book helps with understanding the “language of reading” and the importance of details. Foster opens up a new side of literature where rather than reading emotionally, you dig deeper into the grammar of the literary work to discover the true meaning. How to Read Literature Like a Professor, is beneficial when reading any kind of literary work. It explains the particular “set of conventions and patterns, codes and rules” (Foster xxv) used when dealing with literary works.

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor is a book that shows numerous ways and strategies to understand what their reading. Each chapter shows examples from books and use of literary devices that can help develop the meaning of the story. Think of this book as reading between the lines. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald used people to symbolize objects or things to let the reader have an interpretation on the characters. For example, the green light represents Gatsby's future for him and Daisy to be together.

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Food has been considered as a staple of life since the beginning of time. As humans we relate to food as provision, security, and happiness. Simply stated, food symbolizes an essential need in life. Which is why one of the most pronoun poets of our time, Kevin Young, relies on food to give abstract ideas somewhat of a concrete relationship. For example, from his piece Ode to the Midwest: I want to be doused in cheese

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Meals in literature often represent something bigger, bringing communities together in a form of communion. However, this is not the case; in The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, the meals are ironic they help to show discord and strife among the characters of the book. She uses meals to foreshadow future events, reveal the flaws of the characters, and as the book progresses, allows for the reader to see character development. In novel, Kingsolver twists the normal connotation of a meal and makes it ironic in order to demonstrate the discord and strife that is commonplace throughout the book that shows the lack of community between the Prices and those they interact with for most of the book.

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In Thomas C. Foster's How To Read Literature Like a Professor, he describes the setup of the adventure of the protagonist, dividing it into five parts: Our quester, a place to go, a stated reason to there, challenges and trials, and the real reason to go. A protagonist must experience all of these things in order to accomplish their goals and learn their lessons. In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens, the main character, must encounter these things in order to unlock the mystery of what really happened to her mother the night she was killed, in addition to learning about the passion of writing and telling stories, the dangers and foolishness of racism, and female power. Our quester, Lily, is a fourteen year old girl with a passion for writing.

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In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, there are many meal scenes that could correlate to Foster’s idea of communion whilst dining. This novel is loaded with metaphorical meal scenes, all of which contribute significantly to the story. There are a few important meal scenes though that develop and contribute to the plot more than others. The first of these occurs when Jody decides to open the store and give away free food. The second is when the people of the glades go to Janie’s house for mirth and company.

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In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster teaches readers the meanings behind commonly used symbols, themes, and motifs. Many readers of all ages use this book as a guide to understanding messages and deeper meanings hidden in novels. The deeper literary meanings of various symbols in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are explained in How to Read Literature Like a Professor. By using Foster’s book, readers can better understand the symbols in The Handmaid’s Tale.

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How to Read Literature Like a professor chapter1 In the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a professor author Thomas C. Foster discusses how almost every story has some type of quest, the title of chapter is “ Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)” he clearly alludes to the fact that the chapter is about the quest aspect of a story and its significance. As the chapter developed Foster began to cover the essentials of a quest and the purpose behind a quest, according to him there are five significant aspects of a quest “(a) a quester, (b) a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e) a real reason to go there. He then expands of each of these things.

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981 Words | 4 Pages

Though an immensely important aspect of food is a nourishing supplement; it is not the sole significance of food in human’s lives. Food is symbolic. Food connects people. It is a collective activity everyone must experience; thus meaning it allows people to relate more easily between each other. There is no universal type of food in each society due to the fact that the world is multicultural.

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Behind each movie lies the meaningful aspects and significant features worth noticing. All movies and books can be carefully examined and interpreted. Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor provides a new view on interpreting literature. In the novel, Foster identifies and analyzes common patterns, themes, and motifs found in literature, many of which are also present in Disney’s film, Maleficent. This movie showcases several of his ideas, including quests, flight, geography, and symbolism.

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Food is what human and animal eat or drink. Eating food is a necessary act for survival. A meal is the food eaten on regular occasions, it could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. During any meal, food also has a very social meaning for us, we use food as a way to connect with other people and it is a way of remembrance. A meal is more than just eating food it is about the meaning behind each meal and who we are eating with.

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