HOW T O READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFES

HOW T O READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFES SOR Baptism, Christ and Flights of Fancy

BAPTISM AND CHRIST FIGURES • Pay attention to water!!!! When a character goes under water and when they surface from water is extremely symbolic (it is also symbolic if they don’t come back up!). Basically, it is a baptism, or a re-birth. • On page 126, 128 -29 of HRLLP, there are 2 lists. If characters exhibit traits from that list, they are Christ figures. Typically, whenever there is a sacrifice in literature, think Christ figure!!! • Example: Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows part 2!

CAGES AND FREEDOM Basically, “flights of fancy” are moments in literature and file when a character is literally or figuratively caged, but are freed in some way (the reverse can also be true). It can include the following: • Freedom from oppression • Flight was temptation of Christ (Satan asks him to prove his divinity by flying) • Escape, return home • Love • Spirit leaving the body (freedom from body) • Dreaming (escape from reality) • Limitations (chains) • Feathers and wings and birds (pay attention to this imagery and think about plot, characters, symbolism, figurative meaning)

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Watch the clip from the movie Shawshank Redemption. How are all 3 (baptism, Christ figure, and flights of fancy) evident in the clip? ? ? Anything else from HRLLP that we have discussed evident? Be ready to talk

HOW TO READ LITERATU RE LIKE A PROFESS OR Chapters 10, 19 -20 • Rain and Snow • Geography • Seasons

SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF IT RAINS OR SNOWS? RAINBOWS AND FOG? Rain: Cleansing Restorative Tone (mysterious, misery) Snow: Clean Stark Severe Inhospitable Playful Suffocating Filthy Fog: Uncertainty Rainbow: Peace Divinity Unique/uncommon

DARK (NIGHT) VS LIGHT (DAY) Darkness usually symbolizes ignorance or an inability to see (metaphorically) on some level Light is the opposite. It represents knowledge and enlightenment, an ability (metaphorically) to finally see something that was invisible to character before.

WHAT ABOUT GEOGRAPHY? When and where count as geography (places, time periods, directions) Hills, rivers, lakes, deserts Politics, history, economics People (characters) Plot device

AND SEASONS? Spring: birth, youth Summer: adolescence, experimentation Fall: middle age/knowledge Winter: end of life, death What emotions can we equate with the seasons?

READ THE 2 POEMS AND “ANNOTATE” AS YOU READ THEM. THEN ANSWER: How do weather, geography and seasons affect your understanding and interpretations of the poem (individually)? How do weather, geography and seasons connect the 2 poems? How do they divide the poems? Both are about snow and winter and walking through the woods (most basic idea). What is the tone of each? How is the tone similar and/or different in each poem?

HOW TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR Sex, Politics and Violence

“SHE BEING BRAND” 1926 As I awkwardly read the poem to you (and remember, I get to do this 4 times today so I am way more uncomfortable than you are), circle/underline/highlight words and phrases that give the poem a double meaning. E. E. Cummings takes liberties with grammar/punctuation (style). Think about how/why those liberties might enhance the readers understanding of the double meaning in the poem.

SEX! Basically, innuendo and subtlety is key here! Difference between a “sex scene” in writing and “pornography” in writing. Romance novels are not sex scenes, they are in the second category (and no, I do not want to type that word again…awkward!) Most sex scenes in literature have some sort of symbolic meaning, either to the characters or to the author (author could be making a statement about a time period, people, politics etc. , OR trying to get away with writing about something taboo)!

EXAMPLE: WHAT SYMBOLIZES SEX IN THE FOLLOWING SCENE? https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=TOws. Z 6 b. Dq. JU

IT’S ALL POLITICAL!!! “Nearly all writing is political on some level” (111). There’s political writing where literature tries to influence the “body of politic” and then there is political writing where the author is addressing human problems of the political and social realm with out getting on a soap box!. Most writers are socially conscious and try to incorporate that in their writing to make it more realistic.

VIOLENCE In life, violence can be: Cultural Societal Symbolic Thematic Biblical Shakespearean Romantic Allegorical Transcendent Aggressive

2 CATEGORIES OF VIOLENCE In literature, violence is: Symbolic Metaphorical Character violence: Specific injuries that authors cause characters to inflict upon themselves or others (stabbing, gun shots, drowning, etc. ) Authorial Violence: The narrative violence that causes characters harm in general (usually to advance the plot in some way or make a statement, teach a lesson, of some kind) ***Example: “The Red Wedding” from Game of Thrones

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN” If you had to argue that Joyce Carol Oates used sex and violence in her short story to make a political statement, what statement would you argue she is making? Why do you think the violence was not more graphic in the short story? What do you think happened to Connie in the end? Textual evidence to support?

33, 19, 17 The 33 rd book of the Old Testament (King James Version and Most Other Forms) is Judges. 19: 17 is the passage: “And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, ‘Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? ’” Also, coincidentally, Mary French was 19 and was with Charles Schmid (Smitty)when he killed Alleen Rowe (15). Grethchen Fritz, another victim of Schmid, was 17. Her sister was 13 and both girls disappeared the same night. 33 was also the age of Jesus Christ when he was crucified…hmmmm…

IRONY AND ALLUSIONS Side notes of note

ALLUSIONS Biblical Greek Shakespeare Fairy Tales ***There is only 1 story is what the book argues. Every other story is a variation of another story.

IRONY TRUMPS EVERYTHING!!!! Think about what this means!!!! Everything can be a symbol. All these chapters tell you what things symbolize in literature. BUT, irony trumps everything, meaning is nulls and voids the arguments Foster is making in each chapter!