1. How To Read Literature Like a Professor Frankenstein Review Mrs. Harbison Frankenstein Review Mrs. Harbison

2. Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) A Quest consists of 5 things: –A quester –A place to go –A stated reason to go there –Challenges and trials en route –A real reason to go there A Quest consists of 5 things: –A quester –A place to go –A stated reason to go there –Challenges and trials en route –A real reason to go there

3. The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason Usually, the quester fails at the stated task The real reason for a quest is always Self-Knowledge The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason Usually, the quester fails at the stated task The real reason for a quest is always Self-Knowledge

4. ...Or the Bible Loss of innocence…..The Fall Adam and Eve Satan Forbidden Fruit Ecclesiastes = for every time there is a season Names matter Proverbs Loss of innocence…..The Fall Adam and Eve Satan Forbidden Fruit Ecclesiastes = for every time there is a season Names matter Proverbs

5. But I don’t know the Bible…. Resonance Test If something’s going on that’s beyond the scope of the story’s or poem’s immediate dimensions, if it resonates outside itself, look for allusions to older and bigger texts Biblical dimension = depth to the story, timelessness, and archetypes But I don’t know the Bible…. Resonance Test If something’s going on that’s beyond the scope of the story’s or poem’s immediate dimensions, if it resonates outside itself, look for allusions to older and bigger texts Biblical dimension = depth to the story, timelessness, and archetypes

6. It’s Greek to Me Shaping and sustaining power of story and symbol Myth is a body of story that matters Greek and Roman myths Icarus and Daedalus Arachne Atalanta Jason, Hercules, Theseus, and Perseus, Odysseus Shaping and sustaining power of story and symbol Myth is a body of story that matters Greek and Roman myths Icarus and Daedalus Arachne Atalanta Jason, Hercules, Theseus, and Perseus, Odysseus

7. Medea The Minotaur and the Labrynth The Fates Muses Medusa Pan Charon/The River Styx Elysian Fields/Tartarus Medea The Minotaur and the Labrynth The Fates Muses Medusa Pan Charon/The River Styx Elysian Fields/Tartarus

8. The gods: Zeus (Jupiter), Hera (Juno), Athena (Minerva), Apollo (Helios), Artemis (Diana/Luna), Hepahestus (Vulcan), Aphrodite (Venus), Ares (Mars), Dionysus (Baccus), Posiodon (Neptune), Hades (Pluto), Hermes (Mercury), Hestia (Vesta), Persephone (Proserpina), Demeter (Ceres)

9. It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow Setting, it’s true – but that’s not all It’s never just rain/snow/sun/warmth/cold/sleet The Flood Drowning = one of our deepest fears Rain = memories of myths Atmosphere and Mood Setting, it’s true – but that’s not all It’s never just rain/snow/sun/warmth/cold/sleet The Flood Drowning = one of our deepest fears Rain = memories of myths Atmosphere and Mood

10. Plot device – forces people together in confined spaces More mysterious, murkier, more isolating than any other weather conditions Misery factor It’s clean and dirty – a paradox Symbolic cleansing Restorative (association with Spring and Noah) Plot device – forces people together in confined spaces More mysterious, murkier, more isolating than any other weather conditions Misery factor It’s clean and dirty – a paradox Symbolic cleansing Restorative (association with Spring and Noah)

11. As a restorative, generally used ironically Rain = principal element of Spring Spring = season of renewal, hope, new awakenings Mixes with sun to make rainbows (Noah again) Fog = confusion Snow = anything (clean, severe, warm, inhospitable, playful, suffocating As a restorative, generally used ironically Rain = principal element of Spring Spring = season of renewal, hope, new awakenings Mixes with sun to make rainbows (Noah again) Fog = confusion Snow = anything (clean, severe, warm, inhospitable, playful, suffocating

12. …More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence Violence = one of the most personal and intimate acts between human beings Cultural and Societal implications Symbolic, thematic, biblical, Shakespearean, Romantic, allegorical, transcendent Balanced (physics) Violence = one of the most personal and intimate acts between human beings Cultural and Societal implications Symbolic, thematic, biblical, Shakespearean, Romantic, allegorical, transcendent Balanced (physics)

13. Violence in literature = literal and usually means something else Encodes a broader point about the hostile/essentially uncaring relationship we have with the universe Everywhere in literature 2 categories: specific injury (characters do to each other) and narrative violence (causes characters harm in general) Violence in literature = literal and usually means something else Encodes a broader point about the hostile/essentially uncaring relationship we have with the universe Everywhere in literature 2 categories: specific injury (characters do to each other) and narrative violence (causes characters harm in general)

14. Authorial Violence = death and suffering introduced in the interest of plot advancement or thematic development Writers kill of characters to: –Make action happen –Cause plot complications –End plot complications –Put other characters under stress Authorial Violence = death and suffering introduced in the interest of plot advancement or thematic development Writers kill of characters to: –Make action happen –Cause plot complications –End plot complications –Put other characters under stress

15. Violence = a symbolic action Accidents happen in real life – in literature, accidents are no accident Nearly impossible to generalize about meanings No easy, cut-and-paste answers, but ask the following questions: –What does it represent thematically? –What famous mythic death does it resemble? –Why this sort of violence and not some other? Violence = a symbolic action Accidents happen in real life – in literature, accidents are no accident Nearly impossible to generalize about meanings No easy, cut-and-paste answers, but ask the following questions: –What does it represent thematically? –What famous mythic death does it resemble? –Why this sort of violence and not some other?

16. Is That a Symbol? Yes, it is What does it mean? What does it stand for? What do YOU think? Symbols don’t necessarily mean one thing only (ok, some do, but most don’t) Yes, it is What does it mean? What does it stand for? What do YOU think? Symbols don’t necessarily mean one thing only (ok, some do, but most don’t)

17. If a symbol can stand for only one thing, then it’s not a symbol – it’s an allegory Symbols involve a range of possible meanings and interpretations Symbols depend upon how we engage the text Each reader is unique, bringing our individual history to the table If a symbol can stand for only one thing, then it’s not a symbol – it’s an allegory Symbols involve a range of possible meanings and interpretations Symbols depend upon how we engage the text Each reader is unique, bringing our individual history to the table

18. Readers expect symbols to be objects and images only Events and/or actions can be symbols too So how do we figure out symbols? –Break down the text –Ask questions of the text What’s the writer doing with this image/object/act? What possibilities are suggested? What does it feel like it’s doing? Readers expect symbols to be objects and images only Events and/or actions can be symbols too So how do we figure out symbols? –Break down the text –Ask questions of the text What’s the writer doing with this image/object/act? What possibilities are suggested? What does it feel like it’s doing?

19. Reading literature = highly intellectual activity Also involves affect and instinct READING LITERATURE IS AN ACTION, ALIVE AND FLUID! Reading is an event of the imagination The act of one creative intelligence engaging another Reading literature = highly intellectual activity Also involves affect and instinct READING LITERATURE IS AN ACTION, ALIVE AND FLUID! Reading is an event of the imagination The act of one creative intelligence engaging another

20. Geography Matters What does it mean…. –Where a character goes –Where a character dies –Where the location of the action is What does geography mean to a work of literature? Frequently…….everything What does it mean…. –Where a character goes –Where a character dies –Where the location of the action is What does geography mean to a work of literature? Frequently…….everything

21. So what is geography? –Literal –People Literary geography –Humans inhabiting spaces –And the spaces that inhabit humans Geography is setting –Psychological, attitude, finance, industry –Anything that place can forge in the people who live there So what is geography? –Literal –People Literary geography –Humans inhabiting spaces –And the spaces that inhabit humans Geography is setting –Psychological, attitude, finance, industry –Anything that place can forge in the people who live there

22. Can be revelatory of literary elements –Theme –Symbol –Plot Can define or develop character Can be character Play a specific plot role A general rule: when writer’s send characters south, it’s so they can run amok Can be revelatory of literary elements –Theme –Symbol –Plot Can define or develop character Can be character Play a specific plot role A general rule: when writer’s send characters south, it’s so they can run amok

23. Hills and valleys have their own logic –Up and down –High and low Not matter where – places matter It’s not just setting –It’s place, space, and shape –Giving us psychology, history, and dynamism Hills and valleys have their own logic –Up and down –High and low Not matter where – places matter It’s not just setting –It’s place, space, and shape –Giving us psychology, history, and dynamism

24. …So Does Season I’m skipping this one – you already know what I’m going to say. And if you don’t, refer back to chapter 10 and rain. I’m skipping this one – you already know what I’m going to say. And if you don’t, refer back to chapter 10 and rain.

25. Don’t Read With Your Eyes Don’t read only from your own fixed position Find a reading perspective that –Allows for sympathy with the historical moment of the story –Understands the text as having been written against it’s own social, historical, cultural, and personal background Don’t read only from your own fixed position Find a reading perspective that –Allows for sympathy with the historical moment of the story –Understands the text as having been written against it’s own social, historical, cultural, and personal background

26. Professional reading = danger Deconstruction Pushes skepticism and doubt to extremes Questions everything in a story or poem Goal of deconstruction is to see how the work is controlled and reduced by the values and prejudices of its time Professional reading = danger Deconstruction Pushes skepticism and doubt to extremes Questions everything in a story or poem Goal of deconstruction is to see how the work is controlled and reduced by the values and prejudices of its time

27. DANGER!!!!!!! Deconstruction can take away or enjoyment of the text DANGER!!!!!!! Deconstruction can take away or enjoyment of the text

28. The reader’s perspective matters Active reading Engaging our imagination Danger = too much acceptance of the author’s viewpoint can lead to problems Strong readers/good analyzers are –able to see things from different perspectives –Be confident in their analysis –Able to enjoy reading because of/in spite of deep/intense analysis The reader’s perspective matters Active reading Engaging our imagination Danger = too much acceptance of the author’s viewpoint can lead to problems Strong readers/good analyzers are –able to see things from different perspectives –Be confident in their analysis –Able to enjoy reading because of/in spite of deep/intense analysis