How To Read Literature Like A Professor Chapter 1 Summary

In Chapter 1 the author explains the symbolic reasoning of why a character takes a trip. They don't just take a trip they take a quest. Structurally a quest has a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials en route, and a reason to go there. Quests usually involve characters such as a knight, a dangerous road, a Holy Grail, a dragon, an evil knight, and a princess. The quest also involves the character to gain self-knowledge out of taking the adventure to the stated place where he or she is going.

In most stories, the main character has a goal. This goal could be a variety of things but most importantly, they must endure a journey to reach that goal. This journey, is their quest. Foster breaks the quest down into 5 simple parts, “a quester (a), a place to go (b), a stated reason to go (c), challenges and trials en route (d), and a real reason to go (e).” (Foster 18) Part a is simple, the quester is normally the main character, b is the goal, and c being the reason for wanting that goal. C is what the quester comes across in their quest, the “monsters” and hurdles they must pass. Part e is where most stories create their theme. What the quester learns throughout their quest, changes their desire for the original quest. They usually learn a lesson, or gain knowledge that is more valuable and important than the original quest and it changes the character for the better. The Wizard of Oz is a phenomenal textbook example of what a quest is. Dorothy, the quester from Kansas dreams of going "over the rainbow" to somewhere safe where her unkind neighbor won't harass her dog. Dorothy ends up in the land of Oz, and faces many challenges and trails en route. On her trip she meets the scarecrow, the tin man, the cowardly lion, and the wicked witch of the west. Each new character adds a new stress to Dorothy and forces her to make critical

-Every time a character sets out to do something it's a quest. The idea of a quest has evolved greatly, as literature has evolved.

Analysis: Compare chapter 20 :How to Read Literature Like a Professor-“…So Does Season” to part four (chapter 1) of The Fountainhead.

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.

The five aspects of the quest are the quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials on the way, and the real reason to go there. When I read The Secret Life Of the Bees the quester was Lily, she was looking to go to Tiburon to find out more information about her mother and the past. On her journey she runs away from her father, falls in love, and becomes a part of a family. The real reason behind her journey is to get away from her father and feel connected with a family.

Foster breaks down the aspects of a journey to describe the quester, the destination, the stated reason, the challenges, and the real reason. The character who embarks on the journey, also known as the quester, has a defined reason to do so, whether it is to obtain an object, save one from the lurking dangers, or acquire life-saving knowledge. Along their way to reach their destination, they may encounter various challenges such as a physical barrier, a challenger/defender, or a personal obstacle they must face. Through whatever form it takes, these barriers force the quester to challenge their abilities and beliefs, which ultimately leads to them discovering personal knowledge previously unknown about themselves. Though the quester may have accomplished their stated goal of their journey, they return from their voyage often as a changed person as the real reason for their quest was to gain self-knowledge. After they finish their conquest, the quester realizes that the journey was more important than the destination whether they built upon their relationships with another, conquered a personal fear, or gained new found knowledge about themselves, altering their personality and their identity. Foster believes that every trip is a quest, and the quest is a revelation about one’s

Now Hamlet uses a rational “now he is praying; And now I'll do't./ And so he goes to heaven;/ And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:/ A villain kills my father; and for that,/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send/ To heaven”(p.79). Hamlet uses this “logic” to further justify his inconsistency between his actions and his motive. Finally, during the last scene, Hamlet encounters yet another chance to avenge his father’s, and now also his mother’s murders after his fencing match against Laertes. Claudius tries to kill Hamlet by poisoning him, and poisons Gertrude instead; this is the final breaking point of Hamlet. After the death of his mother Hamlet, can no longer hold back and strikes his foil through Claudius’s heart. Then, he forces the poisoned wine down his throat. This occurrence yet again shows Hamlet’s indecisive character. He plans out the vengeance of his father’s death so many times perfectly, but kills Claudius without a plan and everyone witnesses the murder.

The recognition of patterns makes it much easier to read complicated literature because recognizing patterns will help you relate two or more pieces of literature together, therefore making it easier to understand and analyze the literature you are focused on. Patterns in literature can help the reader understand plots, settings, themes, and other literary elements. I greatly appreciated the novel, Brave New World because of how different the society in the novel was from the one I live in. Using the Signposts from Notice and Note, I was able to see contrast and contradictions that enhanced my understanding of the book. I noticed how I was expecting Bernard, in Brave New World to be just like everybody else in the novel but instead he was a “normal person” that felt normal human emotions, such as the longing for love, that the other characters just did not feel. He also felt isolated and alone. Bernard thinks in a way we were not expecting. Patterns such as this helped me, the reader, to better understand literary elements.

Although deeply sorrowed by his father?s death, he did not consider payback as an option until he meets with the ghost of his father. The ghost tells Hamlet King Claudius, his own brother, murdered him. The ghost then tells Hamlet ?to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder? (I.v.25). Although murder was an acceptable form of revenge in Hamlet?s time he is uncertain about killing Claudius. However, upon his father?s command, Hamlet reluctantly swears to retaliate against Claudius. Hamlet does this not because he wants to, but because his father makes it clear that it is his duty as a son. Hamlet promises to prove his love and duty by killing Claudius.

Claudius never had thoughts of taking revenge on Hamlet until he realized that he had become aware of his guilt in the murder of his own brother. Claudius’ emotions are feelings of revenge because of his desire to possess what the King had; what he thought he deserved. He wanted the throne and the queen, so he killed him to get those things. Hamlet wanted to make Claudius aware that he knew what he had done, so he held a play. In an effort to cover his guilt following the performance, Claudius knew that he would have to take revenge on Hamlet by killing him. He knew that if he killed Hamlet everyone would get very angry because of their love for him. So instead, he sent Hamlet to England to die there. Claudius’ plan did not work because Hamlet, on the ship to England, found out about it. Claudius devised a new plan; which involved the deception of Laertes. He told Laertes that Hamlet had killed his father Polonius. This revelation now gives Laertes a reason to take revenge upon Hamlet. Claudius says,  “Not that I think you did not love your father, But that I know

There Hamlet learns that his father’s death was no mistake, but it was Hamlet’s uncle’s plan to murder him. The ghost also tells Hamlet that he has been given the role of the person who will take revenge upon Claudius. Like a typical revenge tragedy, in Hamlet a crime is committed and for various reasons laws and justice cannot punish the crime so the individual, Hamlet proceeds on to take revenge in spite of everything.

Hamlet is presented with a difficult task to kill Claudius so his father's soul can be purified. Although the burden of Kings Hamlet's death is heavy for everyone, it is especially hard for Hamlet. One reason for this is his mother marrying the new king who is the killer and Hamlet has to kill him now. Upon hearing this news, Hamlet starts to act all crazy. But from dialogues through the play we can infer that this was all according to Hamlet's plan. "I

From the beginning of the play until the meeting between Hamlet and his dead, ghostly father, Hamlet had already had suspicions about King Claudius and his connection to his father’s murder. The meeting between his father only confirmed suspicions that Hamlet had. In Act 1 Hamlet is commanded by his father ghost to avenge his death in which his life was taking from him by his brother. King Hamlet’s ghost commands Hamlet to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder’ by his brother Claudius, who has robbed him of his wife and throne as well as his life” (I.v.2). Hamlet after receiving the command from his father swears “that I, with wings as swift, As meditation or thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge” (I.v.2). Yet Hamlet spends almost the entire play failing to do as he promised in which even in Act 3 the ghost reappears to remind him and says “Do not forget. This visitation

Firstly, Hamlet spends the entire play seeking revenge against Claudius who he believes is the one responsible for his father's death. Claudius murdered King Hamlet to steal the throne, when Hamlet realizes this he wants to kill Claudius. Hamlet states that he will kill Claudius because he murdered his father, "And so I am revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, d this same villain send to heaven;"(3.4. 161). Hamlet explains that since he is his father’s only son he must kill Claudius. Hamlet’s need for revenge is caused by duty towards his father and states that as his son he must avenge his father by killing the villain who murdered him. Hamlet hides his emotions towards his father’s death and instead focuses all his energy on