Summary: How To Read Literature Like A Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster

• “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster is an accessible guide to understanding and analyzing literature.
• Foster explores key literary concepts like symbolism, archetypes, and intertextuality using examples from a wide range of literary works.
• The book empowers readers to read more critically, uncovering deeper layers of meaning and enhancing their overall appreciation of literature.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor (2003) is an accessible and engaging introduction to literary analysis. With illuminating examples drawn from both classic and contemporary literature, this summary provide readers with the tools they need to detect deeper meaning in any fictional text.

Learn how reading like a literature professor gives new depths to the experience.

Most of us read books and find enjoyment in things like the arc of the story, the portrayal of the characters or the author’s powers of description. Nothing wrong with that, but what if there is more to reading than just comprehending what is written on the page?

Turns out, there is often a deeper meaning to a text than we might at first realize. Novels, stories, poems – all are part of a larger literary world, where themes are developed and texts wink ironically at other, older texts. Some literary works have even had such an impact that their coinages have become embedded in language itself.

In this summary, you will be introduced to this world. You’ll learn how to read like a literature professor and understand what knits one text to another. In the end, you might even get a new perspective on some of your favorite books.

In this summary, you’ll also discover

• that a young woman in a Thomas Pynchon book is really a knight;
• why a flea can play a seductive and erotic role; and
• how Ernest Hemingway used irony to create new meaning from a classic poem.

Literary analysis uses memory, symbols and patterns to enrich our reading experience.

What’s your favorite book? You’ve probably read it more than once. You may even know exactly how many times you’ve read it, but can you explain what it is about that book that keeps you coming back?

The truth is that not all readers are created equal. Some of us only focus on the basic level of the story. That is, we follow what happens to a character – the choices they make and how those choices affect other characters.

But it’s more than an exciting plotline and likeable characters that make a book our favorite. More experienced readers are able to tune into what happens on the emotional level of a book. They ask things like “Why did this passage make me feel that way?” or “Where have I seen this happen before?”

By using the codes and patterns of literature, we can uncover the elements beneath the surface of the books we love. From archetypal characters to plot devices, narrative styles to literary references, there are dozens of these elements at play. So if you’re determined to become an able and experienced reader, where should you start?

Well, it helps to group these elements into three major categories: memory, symbols and patterns.

Memory refers to the way in which clever readers seek to make connections between the book they’re reading now and others they’ve read before. They’ll ask themselves: “How does this character compare to others I’ve encountered?”

A shrewd reader will also keep their eyes peeled for symbols – when an element in a story represents something other than itself. They’ll ask, “What does this event (or object, or place) stand for in the story?” Finally, the literary reader discerns patterns. An apparently trivial detail that crops up again and again in a story may speak volumes about the main character.

In the next chapter, we’ll dig a little deeper into the different elements that help us explore memory, symbols and patterns in a novel.

The tale of a quest is the underlying structure for countless stories.

Why did you go to the supermarket this week? Probably for some humdrum reason, like a shortage of bread. But what if your grocery shopping was actually a knight’s quest for self-knowledge. Maybe that seems ridiculous, but authors do something similar all the time; they take a conventional structure and change the details.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a young knight journeys to a faraway land in search of the Holy Grail. On his journey, he fights dragons, overcomes obstacles and learns something entirely unexpected at the end. This story features the conventional structure of the quest, which comprises a quester, a destination, a stated reason to go, challenges along the journey and a revelation.

In your case, the quester might be a hungry person rather than a knight, and the stated reason to go might be a loaf of bread rather than the Holy Grail. Yet, the story’s structure is exactly the same. After all, it’s not the bread that’s at the heart of the story; it’s what happened to you on your way to attaining it.

The quest structure appears in many novels, altered to fit different characters, settings and situations. For instance, Thomas Pynchon used it to structure his 1965 novel, The Crying of Lot 49.

Pynchon’s quester is a young woman who drives between San Francisco and Southern California to carry out the will of her deceased and wealthy lover – that’s her stated reason to go. On her journey, she encounters strange characters, bizarre outsiders and gets tangled up in a dark conspiracy. Those are her challenges along the journey.

While the truth behind the conspiracy is never resolved, the character discovers that she’s capable of independence and self-reliance. This is the unexpected revelation of the quest.

But the quest structure is just one of many universal structures that appear in literature, and it’s not the only thing that different books have in common.

All books borrow ideas from other books, whether it’s obvious or not!

If you’ve ever read a book that reminded you of another one, you might have been disappointed by the author’s lack of originality. But, really, no literary work is completely original. Authors never stop borrowing ideas from one another, whether that borrowing is obvious or subtle, deliberate or inadvertent.

This interaction is called intertextuality, and it’s a literary element that can greatly deepen the reading experience. Let’s take a novella by D.H. Lawrence, for example – The Virgin and the Gypsy. During the narrative, a violent flood destroys a homestead. This flood is remarkably similar to Noah’s flood in the Bible, which suggests that the flood in Lawrence’s novel isn’t just a flood, but a comment on the cleansing powers of destruction.

From nearly every book we can tease out some universal message about the human condition, a message that is relevant no matter what time or place you live in. Some claim that each of these messages will always relate back to those communicated in Shakespeare’s works. Whether this is valid or not, Shakespeare has been and always will be a seminal figure in English literature and language.

Many authors have even paid tribute to Shakespeare with intertextual references to his plays within their own works. The musical West Side Story takes Romeo and Juliet as its model for a modern tale of star-crossed lovers, while the title of Woody Allen’s film A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy makes a brazen nod to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Whether found in the Bible or folk tales or Alice in Wonderland, there are many depictions of the human condition that writers can adapt, appropriate and be inspired by. Reading widely gives you the full range of these depictions, and allows you to deftly pick out the universal message contained within each tale.

Symbols help us detect hidden messages within a story.

Imagine you’re walking down the street and a woman about five yards away lifts her arm in the air and begins moving it around above her head. It would be rather strange if you didn’t realize that she is waving.

Waving is more than a mere movement of the hand, however; it’s a symbol. It signifies to another person that you recognize them, that you’re greeting them and that you want them to recognize you. In literature, anything can take on meaning when you read it as a symbol.

Take Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, for example. In this novel, the Mississippi River is a symbol – and it stands for more than one idea, too.

At the beginning of the novel, the river represents destruction, as its flooding kills people and livestock, and submerges homes. But for Jim, a slave, the river is also a passage to freedom. The Mississippi thus comes to symbolize both danger and safety.

Symbols have also helped authors communicate messages subtly. In the past, censorship prevented authors from exploring taboo topics in their novels. So, many authors began using symbols to communicate banned topics without getting caught.

In the seventeenth century, John Donne’s wrote a poem called The Flea, in which the narrator’s sexual urges are frustrated by his lover’s frigidity. Strict censorship laws prohibited Donne from mentioning sex directly. So how did Donne resolve the dilemma?

By using a flea as a symbol. The titular flea is a symbol that unites the lovers, by sucking the blood of the speaker and of his mistress. Their flea bites symbolize the consummation of their relationship, as well as the voice of the poem’s yearning. Of course, this is a rather tricky symbol to recognize at first.

A good book, however, often points you toward symbols. So keep an eye out – if something pops up again and again in a text, take a closer look. You might have a symbolic message on your hands!

Setting shapes our perception of a story subtly, yet profoundly.

Suppose you read a story about suffering and hardship set in a harsh, icy landscape; now imagine reading the same story, but this time it is set in a lush, blooming landscape in the middle of spring. Would you respond to the story in same way?

Probably not. Surroundings play a role of incredible importance in literature. Edgar Allen Poe’s writing illustrates this particularly well. Take his novel The Fall of the House of Usher, for example. In the first lines of the book, descriptors such as “dreary,” “rank” and “vacant” stand out.

By the time the characters are introduced, we’re already certain that the lives they lead are bleak, grim and gloomy. Why? Because of the atmosphere evoked by the setting from the outset.

In literary works, settings are not only used to establish a story, but also to form the very heart of the story itself. William Faulkner’s most influential works are set in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional yet all-too-accurate representation of society in the Deep South.

As well as geographical location, setting also encompasses the climate and weather. Seasons are often used as symbols in literature, and their meanings are quite intuitive: spring suggests the happy days of childhood, summer evokes passion and romance, autumn often symbolizes aging and winter often alludes to dying. Symbolic seasons are often employed by authors to underline the message at the heart of their text.

For instance, Anita Brookner’s 1984 novel, Hotel du Lac, portrays a woman who recovers from a troubled romance and reflects on her youth by hiding away in a resort. She arrives at the resort in late September – the autumn of her life.

Settings often play such an instrumental role in literature that they’re rather like a character of their own! So when you read, don’t just explore the who and the what, but dig deeper into the where and the when.

Irony subverts your expectations as a reader, communicating ideas in surprising and powerful ways.

With your solid understanding of the codes used by authors to engage their readers, it’s time to meet a literary wild card: irony, an element of texts that throws all the rules out the window.

Simply put, irony occurs when the opposite of what we expect to happen, happens. And in order to understand irony, we must distinguish between expectation and intention.

Remember the oft-used structure of the knight’s quest? If you recognize this structure in a story, you’ll more or less know what to expect from the plot. So, if the plot takes an unexpected turn, you’ll know that irony was involved.

Take Samuel Beckett’s influential play, Waiting for Godot. The two main characters wait each day by the side of the road, hoping that a mysterious figure, Godot, will arrive and bring change.

Despite the expectations of the characters (and readers), Godot never shows up. This creates a curious feeling for the audience, and points them in the direction of the subversive social comment at the heart of the play.

We also find irony in the actions of characters. For instance, in Mrs. Dalloway, a novel by Virginia Woolf, war veteran Septimus Warren Smith commits suicide. His motivation? The enemies were coming. These “enemies,” however, are actually two doctors. The standard perception of doctors as healers and helpers is subverted here; instead, Smith sees them as a terrible threat.

Irony may even be woven into the very title of a novel. Take Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. This title refers to a warmongering poem. Indeed, the first line of the poem is “To arms!” Hemingway, however, joins the title and the first line of this poem to build the phrase “A Farewell to Arms” – the very opposite of a patriotic rallying cry.

In this way, irony is an element that keeps readers on their toes. Once you’re able to detect irony, you’ll no longer take literary conventions for granted. In other words, you’ll have become a truly experienced reader!

Summary

The key message in this book:

By seeking out the patterns and symbols of a book, as well as the connections it has with other texts, you can read between the lines to uncover the universal message at the heart of a story. In this way, enriching your own reading experience is simply a matter of paying close attention.

Actionable advice:

Take a walk in someone else’s shoes – or not!

If you’ve picked up a book written in a time and place you’re unfamiliar with, do a little research before you begin to read. With knowledge of the major historical events of the period, the cultural and social pressures of the time and the life of the author, you’ll be in a better position to explore the messages that are woven into the text. Or, simply read a story about an entirely different walk of life from your own perspective, and read closely. You’ll be surprised at how much you connect with the universal insights offered by the story, no matter how foreign it seems at first.

About the author

Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor and Reading the Silver Screen, is professor emeritus of English at the University of Michigan, Flint, where he taught classes in contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry, as well as creative writing and freelance writing. He is also the author of several books on 20th-century British and Irish literature and poetry.

Genres

History, Criticism, Nonfiction, School, Writing, Education, Literature, Read For School, Literary Criticism, Reference, Reading, Literary Criticism, Literary Reference, Literary Theory

Table of Contents

Preface xi
Introduction: How’d He Do That? xxvii
1 Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) 1
2 Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion 9
3 Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires 20
4 Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? 31
5 When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare … 44
6 … Or the Bible 58
7 Hanseldee and Greteldum 72
8 It’s Greek to Me 82
9 It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow 97
10 Never Stand Next to the Hero 107
Interlude: Does He Mean That? 127
11 More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence 133
12 Is That a Symbol? 148
13 It’s All Political 163
14 Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too 176
15 Flights of Fancy 189
16 It’s All About Sex… 203
17 … Except Sex 214
18 If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism 227
19 Geography Matters… 242
20 … So Does Season 259
Interlude One Story 273
21 Marked for Greatness 285
22 He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know 297
23 It’s Never Just Heart Disease … And Rarely Just Illness 305
24 Don’t Read with Your Eyes 329
25 It’s My Symbol and I’ll Cry If I Want To 341
26 Is He Serious? And Other Ironies 358
27 A Test Case 373
Postlude: Who’s in Charge Here? 420
Envoi 430
Appendix: Reading List 435
Acknowledgments 458

Review

“How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines” by Thomas C. Foster is an engaging and insightful book that offers readers a deeper understanding of how to approach and analyze literature. Foster, a literature professor, uses a conversational and accessible style to demystify the world of literary analysis, making it more approachable for both students and casual readers.

The book is divided into a series of chapters, each of which explores a different aspect of literature and literary analysis. Foster uses examples from a wide range of literary works, from classic literature to contemporary novels, to illustrate his points. Some key themes and concepts explored in the book include symbolism, themes, motifs, and intertextuality.

Foster emphasizes the idea that all literature is interconnected, and that understanding these connections can enhance the reading experience. He encourages readers to recognize patterns, symbols, and recurring themes in literature, suggesting that these elements often carry deeper meaning and can provide valuable insights into a work’s interpretation. He also discusses the importance of considering the author’s life, culture, and historical context when interpreting a text.

The book also delves into the concept of the “quest” and the use of archetypes in literature. Foster explains how recognizing these elements can help readers identify the underlying structure and purpose of a story. He also touches on the role of literary geography and the importance of time in literature, emphasizing how setting and the passage of time can significantly impact the meaning of a narrative.

Thomas C. Foster’s “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” is a highly engaging and informative guide for readers looking to deepen their understanding of literature. It is particularly helpful for students, but it is accessible to anyone interested in literature.

One of the book’s strengths is its relatable and approachable writing style. Foster avoids overly academic language and instead communicates complex literary concepts in a clear, conversational manner. He uses examples from a wide range of texts, which makes the content relevant and relatable to a broad audience.

The book does an excellent job of demystifying the often-intimidating world of literary analysis. Foster’s insights into the use of symbols, motifs, and themes, as well as his exploration of intertextuality, encourage readers to read with a more discerning eye. By connecting these concepts to real-world examples, he empowers readers to apply them to their own reading experiences.

Foster’s discussion of archetypes and the quest narrative is particularly enlightening, as it provides a framework for understanding the underlying structure of many stories. This can help readers appreciate the universality of certain themes and elements across different works of literature.

Overall, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” is a valuable resource for both students of literature and casual readers who want to enhance their literary analysis skills. It encourages readers to engage with literature on a deeper level, uncovering hidden meanings and connections that may not be immediately apparent. If you’re looking to enrich your reading experience and gain a new perspective on the world of literature, this book is a worthwhile read.