How To Read Literature Like A Professor Summary

In the introduction of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster sets the scene for the upcoming chapters by pointing out crucial literary devices. Through several references, it is further explained how memories, symbols and patterns help to create broader understandings throughout literary texts. Foster continues by stating that the usage of these devices establishes the advanced readers from “the rest of the crowd” (xxvii). English professors are, in Foster’s eyes, “cursed with memory” (xxvii). He relates his literary memories to an ancient Rolodex and mentions how he mentally goes through several previously read works in attempts to find any correlations with newer documents. Memory is especially vital to readers when remembering symbols and patterns. Symbols are so vast throughout literature, Foster jokingly adds that “everything is a symbol of something until proven otherwise” (xxvii). As comic as that statement is, it is also completely substantial. Any small item in literature can have a massive symbolic importance or

Mare Barrow, the red blooded protagonist goes through several trials and tribulations dealing with the segregation and morals. A recurring pattern that blew me away was the repetitive idea of anyone can betray anyone. At first I did not recognize this as a pattern, but as the book progressed, it became more and more evident. The symbolism of Mare’s earrings, one rhinestone for each of her brothers that have gone war, was a beautiful symbol for the love of her family. Comprehending several of the symbols as well as the patterns with memory brought the novel onto a whole new level for me and only increased my appreciation and adoration for the characters. After reading the introduction of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, I recognize the importance of symbols, patterns and memory, and I plan to apply these devices on works I read in the