Chapter Summary Of How To Read Literature Like My Father, By John Steinbeck

Throughout the novel, the only other being that Rose of Sharon shows any concern towards besides herself is her unborn child. When the truck startles her, she worries about the baby. When the pious lunatic, Mrs. Sandry, warns her about what the effects of sinning could do to her baby, she worries again. And when Connie leaves, she is forced to face the harsh reality of the immense responsibility of a baby, which causes her to fret even more. So when the baby is delivered stillborn in Chapter 30, even the least empathetic reader feels slight pity for her. But despite the tragic loss for Rose of Sharon, the baby’s death is necessary for it to serve as a symbolic element that embody the struggle of those like the Joads. After the baby is delivered, Uncle John gets the responsibility of getting rid of the corpse. This task proves to be difficult as the rain prevents the ground of being capable of any type of digging or burying, so Uncle John floats the baby down the river. This act alludes to the floating of baby Moses down the river, despite that Moses was alive when this occurred. Moses grows and later goes on to speak of the struggling of his people, just as Uncle John tells the dead infant as he floats it down the river “Go down an’ tell ‘em. Go down in the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em that way. Maybe they’ll know then” (Steinbeck 448). Both figures represent the hardships that their people face; Moses’ people being the Israelites and the dead baby’s being all those poor and struggling to get by during the Depression. By relating these two figures with their similar stories and purposes, and using Rose of Sharon’s child’s death to bring awareness to the struggle of the Joads and those similar to them, Steinbeck proves that hope can come from

The novel The Grapes of Wrath is in many ways a one-of-a-kind piece of literature. This work is set up unlike any other book, written in a series of chapters and inter-chapters, which do a remarkable job of informing the reader of the travels the characters in the book are going through. Not only does the story focus on the problems one family goes through, but explains the problem is happening to many more civilians than the story focus's on. Steinbeck does not leave out a single detail about the Joad family and their journey to California, and that in itself is what makes his writing so entertaining. Not only is this a very powerful topic to write about, but the remarkable writing style of author John Steinbeck makes this book a

In chapter fourteen of Thomas Foster’s novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, when telling of Christ in our literature, he makes the all-composing assertion that we live in an overwhelming Christian culture. The common man or woman may not know all there is to understand in Christianity, but our media and minds are affected by it considerably and basic knowledge of its core is known by the majority. The figures of Jesus in literature are abstract and in no way have to be exact to Jesus in gender, morality, or actions. No literary character or real character can be as divine or perfect as Jesus was in the Bible, making it impossible to completely replicate him. Imagination is the largest

Another big point in Prose’s essay is the assignments associated with high school literature. She argues that teachers make students write around the books and not about the books they read. “No wonder students are rarely asked to consider what was actually written by these hopeless racists and sociopaths. Instead, they’re told to write around the book, or, better yet, write their own books,” (430). The assignments that teachers give these days are nto about the book or the story itself. They usually ask the student to rewrite the ending, or ask what the student would do if they were in the same situation as the character. Prose argues that high school students are seen as having the same experience as some of the characters they read about, such as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. “And is it any wonder that

Thomas C. Foster in ‘How to Read Literature like a Professor’, references the different literary devices that authors use in literature, in order to enhance the reader’s ability to critically analyze literature from any time period. Foster expands the reader’s understanding of literature by exploring the profound impact of symbols and common themes on literature.

Throughout history, literature has served as a prominent tool in the examination of social values, ideas, and dreams. In addition, literature has provided a vital connection between historical, social, and political events. Through the incorporation of religious principles and philosophies, writers have discovered a way to portray different time periods, characters, feelings, and most importantly God.

-As readers we come across many details in literature that hole significance, however the common reader usually misses the deeper

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster is a book that explains there is more to literature than just a few words on a paper or a few pages in a book. Thomas Foster’s book portrays a relatable message to a wide based audience. This book is relatable for two reasons, the way it is written and the examples it uses. The book is written in a conversational manner, as if the reader was in a group discussion about books and writing. As for the examples, they are informative, descriptive, relative, and entertaining.

How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C Foster is a how to do book that teaches children how to become better readers. The novel was written in second person. The purpose of this novel is to inform readers on details that they wouldn’t usually realize in literature. Students who read Thomas C Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor are suppose to gain knowledge of how to identify details of their story that have connections to other literature or have alternative meanings that the author is trying to get across to the reader. Thomas C Foster believes reading his novel can help develop you into a better reader. He believes this because the information that he includes can apply to your reading. When you

In the fourteenth chapter of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster depicts all the elements found in a Christlike character. To begin, a simple fact is stated; “we live in a Christian culture” (124). Foster declares this to establish the fact that Christianity is a predominant religion on Earth, and it greatly impacts it’s surrounding civilizations. “Culture is so influenced by it’s dominant religious systems” that religion may sneak into a writer's work, no matter their personal beliefs on the religion (125). While knowledge of religion is helpful - especially to a reader - too many religious beliefs can lead problems. Foster articulates that intelligent readers possess a diverse knowledge in multiple religions,

I. John Steinbeck used his personal experiences as a laborer to write many of his novels like Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster is an all-encompassing guide to literature. Thomas C. Foster sets outs to explain how seemingly each detail in a story has some sort of symbolic meaning that may not be easily noticed at first glance. These symbolic meanings can range from the more potent symbolism of the weather to the obscure deeper meaning of a supernatural creature in a story’s plot. As I was reading this book, I was amazed and somewhat taken aback to how much other works of literature are used as examples to validate Foster’s explanations. Well-known novels like Animal Farm, Shakespearean plays such as Hamlet, biblical stories, and Greek myths are referred to. It was immediately apparent that the author was very

Biblical references act as focal points throughout Foster’s ‘How to Read Literature Like a Professor’ and are discussed in chapter seven’s ‘...Or the Bible.’ Ideas stemming from themes such as greed, sin, and sacrifice can be traced within Steinbeck’s ‘The Pearl’ as Kino, a poor man, is desperate to reap the riches of “The greatest pearl in the world (pg 34)” and save his only son from imminent death. At first glance the pearl can be recognized as a symbol for greed----Which is true, because Kino goes to severe lengths in order to preserve the pearl’s worth. Consequently, this results in the gruesome demise of his child and the disposal of the pearl. The idea of greed surrounding the pearl also applies to minor characters. An example of this can be identified with the beggars of the church as they heard the news of the pearl, “For they knew that there is no alms giver in the world like a poor man who is suddenly lucky.” (pg 11) However, the pearl’s symbolism goes further beyond a simple theme.

Known as a safe read throughout the literary world, Christian fiction is devoid of true human condition such as the grotesque and the sexual. Richard Terrell proposes in his essay Christian Fiction: Piety is not Enough, that Christian fiction cannot rely on being religious anymore to earn the title of “good fiction”. He addresses the issue of Christian fiction limiting itself to a certain range of topics because it is a “religious” work and these limitations result in mediocre writing. Though the credibility is weak throughout Christian Fiction: Piety is not Enough, the elements of logic and emotional appeal are effective in convincing Christian readers that today 's Christian fiction is subpar.

Every great writer had their own influences, John Steinbeck was no exception. Steinbeck’s influences cam from family, friends, and his environment to write detailed descriptions to involve or influence the reader. Whenever someone reads one of John Steinbeck’s works they are in immersed in the scene he is describing, he makes you feel as if you are right there experiencing everything there first hand.