How to Read Literature Like a Professor How'd He Do That?

-Many details we come across in literature that hold significant meaning are missed by the common reader. -Three things stand out to literature professors: memory, symbol and pattern. Every Trip is a Quest (Except When it's Not) -Every time a character proceeds to go somewhere, in literature, it is a quest. -There's always five key elements to a quest: a quester, somewhere to go, a reason to go there, challenges and trials, and a real reason behind the quest. -The true meaning of a quest always involves self-improvement. Nice To Eat with You: Acts of Communication -To us, meals are just meals, but in literature, they always hold a deeper meaning. -People have in common the need to eat, and that can bring people together. -In retrospect, a failed meal may symbolize tension between people. Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires -Vampirism can manifest itself in literature in a symbolic way, these figurative vampires boil down to selfishness and exploiting the weak. -Many times, ghosts and their friends inside of memorable pieces of literature represent things deeper than what they appear on the surface. If It's Square, It's a Sonnet -Sonnets are one of the most important types of poetry to recognize. -They take the shape of more or less a square. -Normally divided into different parts, by carefully constrasting and comparing the parts, one might find deeper meanings. -Just because they're short doesn't mean that they're insiginificant, in a good sonnet, every little part needs to be perfect. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? -There is no such thing as a completely original piece of literature, all works of literature can be traced to another. -This doesn't mean that people aren't original, but that subconciously, thier works are affected by that of others. -There's only one story in essence, all stories are forms of that one. -With expirence, one would begin to see the similarities between many stories, and it'll change the reading expirenece. When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare... -Many stories draw fron Shakespeare, and though the number may not be seen right away, the amount is staggering. -Furthermore, Shakespeare has many famous quotations that manifests itself in many places in our lives. -Being able to seek these connections makes the reading expirenece levels deeper. ...Or the Bible -Just like Shakespear, many stories from the Bible manifests itself in other pieces of literature. -Some can be deliberate, while others are subtle and unconcious. -It adds depth and dimension into stories.

-Though not everyone many have read the Bible, just as with Shakespeare, many people could still be able to identify it. Hanseldee and Greteldum -Many pieces of literature can be traced to Shakespeare and the Bible but fairy tales and folk tales are great as well. -Other sources may end up too complex, overused or too unknown. -People are familiar with the stories, but a good writer would make any flagrant similarities hidden, giving people strangeness and familiarity. It's Greek to Me -Myth is a body of story that matters, and each community will have different myths, causing people to interpret things differently. -To many people, Greek and Roman mythology is what matters, and it proves to be another source that people can base literature off of. It's More Than Just Rain or Snow -As with meals, scenes with rain or snow are always more than just weather. -Rain could mean a pletora of things, it could be dark and chilling, or cleaning and restorative. -Snow also has different meanings, the meanings are up to the reader to interpret. Does He Mean That? -Authors draw from many different sources, and they have to include deep symbols and patterns, can they really handle it? -No one knows for sure, and writers are different, so we generally have to make do with guesswork. ...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence -Violence is another topic that is always deeper in literature. -With a few exceptions, whenver violence occurs, we must always be aware of why it is happening and what it means. -Even illness and accidental deaths mean something, you can't write an accident. Is That a Symbol? -What is a symbol is up for interpretation, different people can see different things. -Many things can be symbols, people simply have to look harder to uncover the deeper meanings of things. -A symbol will most likely stand for multiple things. It's All Political -Political writing that tackles narrow topics directed at a certain time and group won't be able to age and travel well. -On the other hand, political writing that question more cosmopolitan topics can become a compelling piece. -Nearly all writing is political, it's only the levels that create variance. Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too -A Christ Figure has many traits in common with Jesus, and these figures represent a sense of sacrifice, rectitude, redemption and hope. -Readers need to put aside belief systems to see what the writer is trying to say. -Readers should attempt to realize what any contrasts to Jesus mean to literary works.

Flights of Fancy -Humans have always been tempted with the ability to fly: flgith is freedom, and can represent it in many different ways. -It's not always literal flying, it could be represented with birds or other flying imagery. -In the end, irony has the ability to ruin everyting. It's All About Sex -Some writers may have hid symbols of sexuality within their writing. -Before the 19th century, sexuality was censored in literature. -Many times, a scene depicting figurative sex can mean multiple things and can actually be more intense. ...Except Sex -Sex scenes prove hard to write, and writers tend to skip writing them. -Actual sex scenes tend to stand for something other than sex, such as submission, domination or pleasure. If She Comes Up, It's Baptism -Baptism is a symbolic death and rebirth: a redemption. -Other things, in turn, symbolize baptisms: rain, water, ect. -When charactes are renamed or changed in similar ways, it may also be a symbol for a baptism as well. Geography Matters... -Where the story is set is another important factor in literature. -Certain places stand for safety, like a suburban town, while places like the jungle brings wilderness and confusion. -Movement from place to place could mark major shifts, when people are sent south, it's so they can run amok. ...So Does Season -As with geography, the time of year matters as well, with each season invoking different responses. -The changing seasons could signify the cycle of life, the passing of time. -Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall themselves have their own unique connotations. -Special dates such as Christmas hold strong meanings as well. One Story -There is only One Story, all other stories stem from that one. Marked for Greatness -Physical imperfections on characters and landscapes reflect on their symbolic flaws. -How the marks were caused may reflect the monstrousity of whatever caused it. -Monsterous appearances may be compared and contrasted to many different themes. He's Blind for a Reason, You Know -Blindness may be an indicator that a person is blind in another area, such as emotionally or morally. -On the other hand, a person without sight may have the ability to see things that normal people don't. -Blindness is usually used as a metaphor, characters fail to see things like reality or love.

It's Never Just Heart Disease... -Heart disease can mean many different things, most of which are related to our multiple definitions of heart. -Love gone wrong, loneliness, disloyalty, hate, diffidence -A heart illness may point to things gone wrong on a larger scales as well. ...And Rarely Just Illness -Not all illnesses are created equal, they have different traits and are used and handled differently in literature. -Illness should be picturesue and mysterious in order to ivoke a deeper meaning. -Illness will have strong symbolic meanings, different diseases have different causes and traits and thus different meanings as well. Don't Read With Your Eyes -When reading literature, people must learn to let go of their customs, opinions and time period. -A reader must be able to understand the movements of the culture and time period that affecting the book. -It isn't Is He Serious? And Other Ironies -The bottom line is: irony trumps everything -It may be hard to get used to and recognize, but the use of irony is a very valuable ability that writers have.