Monday, June 20, 2011
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapters 18-26
Ok - this is our last set of chapters from Foster. I still want you to focus on the ideas in two chapters and apply these to works you've read, but here's your challenge: Choose one of the ideas in a text you've already discussed and analyze how an idea in this last set of chapters also applies to that example. For instance, if you talked about the journey or quest chapter, use the same example you applied to that chapter and take it a step further by applying the ideas in the "Geography Matters" chapter (19). Where did the journey take the protagonist and why are those specific locations significant according to Foster? Some of you have already discussed rivers and bodies of water; how can you connect those examples to the chapter on baptism (18)? I hope you understand what I'm asking. I still want you to comment on two new ideas, but for at least one of them, apply the idea to an example you've already used. Please let me know if you have any questions. Remember you can always email me at williamsholly@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable asking questions on the public blog.
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When I mentioned The House of Night series, the main character starts out with a half crescent dark blue moon "tattoo". As she goes throughout her life at the school and she accomplishes tasks or shows good, her goddess Nyx awards her with new intricate tattoos on her body, like her arms and back. I think that this shows that the protagonist is marked for greatness because she is always willing to help her friends and do whatever she must to stop the antagonists that are always wrecking havoc. She goes above and beyond what she, as a regular teenager, shouldn't have to do to keep peace in her world.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 18 about baptism, in the Secret Life of Bees, one of the sisters has a wall that she has made in the backyard and every time that something bad happens, she goes out to it and writes down something on a piece of paper and sticks the paper in a crack or hole in the wall. She's one of my favorite characters, because she is incredibly sweet, always wants to help someone in whatever way she can, and she makes sure no one is left out or by theirself. She ends up drowning herself in the river near her's and her sisters house because she said the pain she deals with is just too much on her. I feel like she was a christ like figure because she was genuinely sweet and always helpful, but her drowning herself was a sign to me that she couldn't deal with other people's pain. I cried when I read the book and the movie at this part because I felt like she had taken some of the good away from the story and I feel like all of her tears that she cried finally claimed her when she went into the river to die. I wish that someone had found her and she maybe could have been renewed like Foster talks about saying that water is supposed to be renewing and making a person reborn in a certain sense.
In chapter 19, Foster talks about geography and how important it can be to a story. Geography played a significant role in As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. In an earlier blog, I mentioned Dewey Dell, and how she so badly wanted to abort her child. Anyone who has read this book knows that the whole story is based on getting Addie to Jefferson so she can be buried. Each person in the family has their own idea of what they are going to do when they get to the city. This journey to Jefferson is a tough one; full of obstacles. The main problem with the original route the Bundren family was going to take, is the bridge is out. It was partially washed away by the river below. Because of this, the family has to come up with a fairly new plan, and this takes a few extra days. Dewey Dell is so ready to get rid of this baby, that the bridge being out causes her more anxiety than before. She can barely mourn the death of her mother for thinking about her pregnancy. She feels that the sooner she gets this kid out, the sooner she can focus on losing her mother. But first, the family needs to come up with a plan to cross this raging river. In a way, the river symbolizes a hardship (maybe the death of Addie), and the family has to get through it together; the same way they must cross the river together. On the other hand, for Dewey Dell, the river could symbolize a personal problem (such as the abortion) that she must overcome to see new hope.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 21, Foster talks about how physical appearances and imperfections of a character can resemble or symbolize who they are on the inside. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Roger Chillingworth has the ugliest appearance. He is understood to be a twisted, angry, jealous, and vengeful man, and it seems to show in his appearance. As the story starts to come to an end, Roger Chillingworth gets even more hideous than he was to begin with. In chapter 8 it says, “A change had come over his features,—how much uglier they were,—how his dark complexion seemed to have grown duskier, and his figure more misshapen,—since the days when she had familiarly known him.” This is proof that the more revenge he craved, the uglier and twisted his soul and looks become.
In chapter 21 Foster tells how some characters are marked for greatness. I think back to when I first blogged about Huckleberry Finn because he was marked to be great. Even though you couldn't tell from first reading it because it seemed as if he was just a trouble making little kid. But as you read you could tell that he had a good heart and only wanted to do what was right. You could tell throughout his quest that he changed to be a more heroic character. For example when he rescued Jim from being a slave again, even though it took a long time because of Tom Sawyer. I would have never of guessed he would have done this when first reading the book. Foster says that some characters are marked for greatness physically, as in Harry Potter and his lighting bolt scar on his forehead. I think Huck was marked on the inside, from just being a good person and setting others before himself.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my most recent post when I talked about chapter 15 and how Dumbo's ability to fly helped him overcome being made fun of. But after reading chapter 26 about irony I realized that most of the book was full of irony. For example when was the last time you saw a elephant fly? I personally have never seen nor heard of that happening. Also Dumbo's best friend is a little mouse in the circus. That's ironic because elephants are so large and a mouse is of course very small. Foster says once irony comes into a novel the other chapters go out the window. That's true because most people know that Dumbo can fly because it's very ironic that a elephant can fly.
I hope this is what you were asking for, I was kind of confused but after reading Taylor's and Erica's post it made it easier.
Yes, you two are doing great! It was a little difficult for me to explain how I wanted you to show an understanding of the interconnectedness of Foster's ideas. You all have the idea right on the money. Jason, although Dumbo does contain some instances of irony, we wouldn't consider that the book is written as an ironic text. I don't want you to discount your earlier analysis of the significance of Dumbo's flight just because there are a few unexpected details.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth said...After reading Foster's book I saw the drowning in The Secret Life of Bees as an almost positive thing. Foster talks about how a baptism in water is a symbol for a rebirth. The sister is overwhelmed by the evil in the world surrounding her and when she goes under water the water washes away all the stress and evils in her life. I know it may not technically be a baptism because she died but, I think her transition into Heaven could be considered her rebirth. She now has a new life where there are no more evils to upset her.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I read the title of the chapter about blindness I thought of, of course, Oedipus Rex. If you ask anyone what they know about that story they know three things, he had children with his mother, killed his father, and stabbed his own eyes out. It's not hard to make a connection to Oedipus and blindness. Oedipus literally blinded himself so that he would not have to face the truth and his destiny. However, even though he may not have been able to physically see the mess of his life it was still there. He still killed his father and he still had children with his mother even if he couldn't see them. Foster talking about the more figurative meaning of blindness made me think back to a previous post I had made about Jay Gatsby being a prince charming in The Great Gatsby. All Gatsby was focused on was saving the ungrateful Daisy from her delusional life. In my opinion Gatsby was blinded by the past. All he could see was how Daisy used to be and the love they used to have. It was painfully obvious to the reader that Daisy was not going to leave her present life to go be with Gatsby but Gatsby just couldn't see it. Daisy was selfish and used Gatsby to relive her glory days. Gatsby was also blinded by his love for the Daisy he used to know. He was so in love with the idea of how she used to be that he couldn't see who she was now. Gatsby never saw through Daisy and in the end he died blinded by the past.
In the chapter about marks of greatness Foster talks about monsters. He says that authors use people with ugly exteriors and great personalities, like Quasimodo, a lot. However, I struggled to think of other examples of this. Maybe the dwarfs in Snow White or the old man in The Old Man and the Sea. In my opinion the opposite situation is found more in literature, beautiful people with ugly personalities. There are many examples such as Tom and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, Kate in East of Eden, Dracula, and the sirens in Greek mythology. There are tons of beautiful villans. I think that authors use this situation more because if a person seems to good to be true they probably are. When Adam met Kate in East of Eden she was unconcious. He thought he had met his dream girl. He fell in love with her appearance and the illusion that comes with a pretty face. This was not the case. Although she was described in the book as the most beautiful person in my opinion she was the worst character I've ever read about.
In Chapter 19, Foster explains how the geography in a story adds to the story's meaning - whether we give it much thought or not. In a previous post, I used the novel "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks as an example for the chapter on quests. While the quest was emotionally hard, it was also physically hard...thanks to the geography. Katie, the young woman escaping her abusive husband, moved south to North Carolina and had to take several different means of transportation just to get there. At first, I didn't see this as an important part of the story line but after reading Foster's point, I now see that the external struggles of geography were parallel to the internal struggles Katie was facing and the ones she would continue to face.
ReplyDeleteAlso, upon reaching North Carolina, she didn't have any money for a car. All the money she had saved up went towards her rent in a secluded cabin. Once she found a job as a waitress, she had to walk to and from work...no matter what the weather was like that day. As she walked the long and sometimes rainy path home, it symbolized the long and emotional battle she still had to face.
In Chapter 23, Foster explains that when a character has a heart disease, "it's never just heart disease." I have used "The Scarlet Letter" in previous post and would like to use it again here. The Rev. Dimmesdale is constantly walking around with his hand at his heart, dealing with the physical pain his "condition" is inflicting. Although it is never stated that the Rev. has a heart disease, it is made clear that he has a heart condition. As the story progresses, his condition gets worse. He looks, moves, and acts as if he is extremely ill...while Roger Chillingworth tries to "heal" and control Dimmesdale's pain. As readers, we soon find out the true meaning of Dimmesdale's pain, the true meaning of Roger's intentions, and the truth about Hester's affair. Dimmesdale's condition is not just a heart condition (or in Foster's words...disease), it is the emotional pain and guilt that has built up so strong that it has made him sick physically.
In Chapter 19, Foster discusses the importance of geography in literature. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck opens the story with an intricate description of the Salinas Valley. Steinbeck creates a nostalgic and sentimental vibe as he recollects on childhood memories here and as the story progresses the Salinas Valley becomes very vital to the storyline. The Salinas Valley is so significant because it serves as a symbol of good versus evil, which is a prominent theme in East of Eden. Without the existence of this place, this book would certainly not have the same effect. Another literary work that geography plays a vital role in is The Great Gatsby (I used this novel in discussion on Chapter 12). We all could agree that this novel would NOT have the same effect if it were placed in a backwoods swamp in Louisiana! This novel revolves entirely around a cosmopolitan, materialistic, high-class society. The setting of this novel contributes a great deal to the theme of greed in the novel, which would not be present without the kind of lifestyle the characters are accustomed to.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 24, Foster talks about illnesses in stories. In Dear John by Nicholas Sparks illness plays a significant role in the plot of the novel. John and Savannah, who met and quickly fell in love one summer sadly never get to be together due to the untimely presence of illness. After John goes back to the army after the 9-11 attack, and the two lovers are running low on faith in their future, Savannah ends up marrying a lifelong friend, Tim, who is diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that is quickly taking away his life. When John returns from the army for good, he goes to visit Savannah hoping to rekindle that old flame, and is stricken hard by the disheartening reality of her life now. Despite the fact that Savannah and John are still and will forever be very much in love, the reality of their circumstance will not allow them to be together. Foster’s forth point in this chapter is “It should have strong symbolic or metaphorical possibilities…” in this point, he uses the example of Tuberculosis and how it can represent wasting away. In Dear John, Tom’s sickness represents the end of John and Savannah’s relationship, or even more so the shattering of their dreams to finally be together.
In Chapter 19 Foster talks about geography and how important it is to the story. In the Novel Holes by Louis Sachar geography is extremely important because in the novel camp green lake really isn’t even a lake. It was a lake before a drought swept across the land a made the lake dry up. In Chapter 1 Foster talks about quest and in this novel geography makes Caveman’s quest to clear his family’s name because of what his dirty pig stealing grandfather did. In the novel also Louis describes the geography of the mountain with a point on the top as what appears to be god’s thumb.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 24 Foster talks about Illnesses in stories and how they affect the whole story. I quickly thought of the novel As I Lay Dying by: William Faulkner. In the beginning of the novel Addie the mother dies of an illness. The Illness causes the family to take the journey to Jefferson to put Addie’s corpse to rest, however none of the family actually wants to go to the town for that reason. They all have different reasons they want to go visit the city. They are all very selfish and didn’t really even care for their mother. Jewel is the only child who really had feelings for her in my opinion. The ride to the city takes forever and Addie is still laying in the coffin Jewel built for her. Long Story short the death of Addie brings the family on a journey that they want only to benefit themselves.
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ReplyDeleteI would also like to agree with Katelyn in applying Chapter 19, where Foster talks about geography and its significant affects on a story, to The Great Gatsby. Previously, I used The Great Gatsby to relate to Foster's concept of the quest, and how throughout the story Gatsby was continuously searching for Daisy's love. Foster says in chapter 19 that geography is "anything that place can forge in the people who live there." In The Great Gatsby the people of West Egg are addicted to parties and living the good life at the expense of whoever is willing to satisfy them who in this case happens to be Gatsby. Gatsby is constantly surrounded by crowds using him for a quick thrill or "vampires." He hopes throughout the story, that through his impressive parties he will attract the attention of Daisy and complete his quest to be reunited with her. Unfortunately, we eventually find out that Daisy does not love Gatsby, only his money (making her a "vampire"), and the only thing that she really cares about is living in the high-class society of East Egg.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 18 Foster also talks about how drowning is symbolic baptism. I would like to apply this to the beginning of East of Eden where Mrs. Trask drowns herself. We do not learn much at all about her but we do know that she was a very religious woman and treated almost like a slave by Cyrus Trask. By holding her head under water and forcefully drowning herself I believe that she was choosing a new life for herself and leaving her old one behind.
I agree with Jason about Huck Finn being marked for greatness. In the beginning of the book no one expects him to amount to anything, especially because of all the trouble his pap has been in and how he was such a bad influence. He overcame that reputation when he didn’t turn Jim in though and I think he was able to do that because he had been marked for greatness all along.
ReplyDeleteIn the last post I talked about how The Great Gatsby represents deteriorating values of the wealthy people in the east and also the choice of money over love. This also relates to the chapter about seasons (chapter 20). The day that Daisy and Gatsby have their first reunion it’s pouring rain outside. This represents their sadness from remembering what they had in the past, and knowing deep inside that they can’t ever have it back exactly how it was. Foster says that rain represents renewal and in this book it’s suppose to symbolize the renewal of their relationship and the cleansing of their unfortunate past. They were supposed to start fresh from this point on but I find it a bit ironic because this day ultimately leads to Gatsby’s death, definitely not something we relate with rebirth. Foster also says that summer has to do with adulthood, romance, fulfillment, and passion. Throughout the book (which mostly takes place during the summer) Daisy and Gatsby’s love for each other grows and they are unable to hide it. Gatsby’s main goal is to fulfill his dream of getting Daisy back for himself and Tom begins to notice. The fight in the hotel room between Tom and Gatsby, which occurs on a scorching summer day, shows Gatsby’s passion for Daisy, how much he love her, and how he truly believes that she loves him and has never loved Tom. However, as the fight continues Daisy begins to realize the Tom has outdone Gatsby and always will. She returns to Tom, choosing money over love.
In chapter 21 Foster also talks about how we understand physical imperfections in symbolic terms and how sameness doesn’t present us with metaphorical possibilities. In The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield has a crippled leg and this represents a lot of things. First it represents how delicate and breakable she is but it represents her odd personality too. She spends her days going to the zoo and playing with her glass animals, things her mother finds strange. Laura’s crippled leg also is a part of what makes her unique. She is one of a kind and the only person who realizes that is Jim. Her mother tries to turn her into an image of herself when she was young but Laura is too much different. The last thing her leg represents is her selflessness. Although she is probably the most needy member of the family, she never complains about her imperfection, never asks anything extra of anyone, and even though she needs Tom at home she understands that he wants to escape and tries to explain it to her mother.
When you said take it a step further by applying something already discuss in previous chapters, I went back to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and back to Chapter 1 when Foster talks about going on a quest. The protagonist, Huck Finn, was of course on a quest trying to help his friend escape from slavery, but ended up in places he never even knew existed and even ended up in worse situations from where he left. Foster talks about when you go on a vacation you ask the questions “Who’s paying?” “Which month?” or even “Can we get time off?” but you really do not think about those questions because in the end all you really care about is where, because you have to know where you are going before you begin your quest or vacation. Huck Finn, however, did not think about where he was going, he only thought about how he was going, even if that was by a river, or walking the dirt roads, he was going to find someway to get there and fast. The only think he could do was to get on some kind of boat to float him down the river which ties back to Chapter 19, when Foster talks about geography and the matters that come with it. Geography to me means, bodies of water, land, trees, flowers, thinks like that. Something other than roads, mostly the things God created. Without geography Huck and Jim would not been able to get away from slavery because they took a river to leave, which is geography.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 18 when Foster discusses baptism saying, “If she comes up, It’s Baptism”, like Taylor and Elizabeth, it made me think about the Secret Life of Bees. When the sweetest girl drowned in the river, I would have to say it was kind of like baptism, because it took away all the sin, evil, and pain away because her life was gone and she did not have to worry about all of the hurt anymore, but it kind of took away from being like baptism because that baptism is the removal of sin, and showing that you have asked for forgiveness from the Lord, not dying in a river. The girl in the book basically took her life for the pain to go away, in the end she got what she wanted it, but everybody else did not, so it kind of was like baptism in a way because her sins were taking away, but her life was taken away too.
I certainly have enjoyed reading “Reading Literature Like A Professor,” it has really shown me another way to enjoy and read literature. Foster had some very good interesting points in comprehending what we all read and understand about literature. It made me think more deeply about the text and the next time I read a book, I will be able to grasp and appreciate at all the ideas behind it.
In chapter 21, Foster talks about how a physical imperfection can mirror emotional or psychological imperfections. In the Harry Potter series, Harry has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. When Harry was little, Voldemort killed both of his parents and attempted to kill him, but Harry was only left with his scar as a reminder of that tragic night. The scar mirrors his psychological damage of, not only losing his parents, but of having to live with the knowledge that he was spared and not his parents. Harry also shows some psychological damage in his need for revenge. He wants to kill Voldemort for two reasons: to save his world and people, and also to kill the man who killed his parents. What may seem like a selfless act is actual driven vengeance. On another hand, wizard society looks at Harry as a savior. He is the one who is supposed to destroy Voldemort and save society from being taken over by the death eaters. This causes a lot of psychological stress on Harry. It must be stressful to know that only you can keep evil from taking over. The stress of being marked for greatness tries to take over Harry and destroy him, but he is strong and must keep going, even though he wants to quit.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 24, Foster discusses how illnesses are not just illnesses. They usually symbolize something greater than appears. In The Glass Menagerie, Laura Wingfield must wear a leg brace. She was crippled, even as a child. Her handicap mirrors her social awkwardness. She has very poor social skills and has trouble carrying on conversations with people. Her crippled leg directly mirrors her crippled social skills.
In chapter 26, Foster talks about irony. In an earlier post I discussed Romeo and Juliet. I believe that the end of Romeo and Juliet is ironic. Juliet takes a potion that feigns death. It causes her to sleep and slows her heart rate down tremendously. She takes the potion to save her relationship with Romeo; if her parents believed her to be dead, she could run off with Romeo and they could live a happy life together. In trying to save her relationship, she ends up destroying it. Romeo finds her in her tomb and kills himself before she awakes to tell him of her plan. When she wakes, she finds, to her horror, a dead Romeo and kills herself because she can’t live without her. The irony is that the potion that was supposed to save her relationship ended up backfiring and destroying her relationship.
I like how Dalton used the Holes example and got straight to the point. I think Ali did a great job connecting the imperfection chapter with Laura from The Glass Menagerie.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 26, Foster begins to talk about irony found in stories. I decided to link this chapter with The Scarlet Letter. The biggest irony in The Scarlet Letter is how Dimmesdales’ “doctor” is really in fact the very person harming him the most. Throughout the entire novel, we gradually see Dimmesdale get weaker and weaker. His health becomes very bad and he is always weak. It’s ironic that Roger is the one who tries healing Dimmesdale. Roger is only set on revenge and is maliciously poisoning Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale doesn’t catch on until the end of the story that Roger was in fact poisoning him, not healing him.
In chapter 21, Foster mentions characters that are “marked for greatness”. I immediately thought of Harry Potter when I read this chapter. In the first novel of the Harry potter series, we see that Voldemort leaves a strange lightning bolt scar on Harry’s forehead. The mark was caused because Voldemort wasn’t strong enough to kill Harry due to his mother’s self-sacrifice to protect him. This provided Harry with the ultimate defense against Voldemort. When we later find out that no one has ever survived an attack from Voldemort, this lets us know that Harry was very lucky and special. Harry was known to everyone as “the boy who lived”. Clearly, we can see that Harry is extremely special and is meant to do great thing like defeat the Dark Lord himself.
Chapters 5 speaks about how there is no original form of literature and that they all spring from ideas that authors of different text once had. Chapter 21 speaks about characters being marked for greatness, and I find that funny because in almost all the books I’ve read I have found that the protagonist usually has some sort of bodily feature that sets them apart from the rest of the characters for example Harry Potter with his Scare, Dimmesdale with his carved “A” in the middle of his chest, Frodo with his very short stature and the list goes on and on. In the case of many quest books these same deformities and scars are use to provide greater meaning then superficial defects. For example in the Lord of the Rings Frodo is a hobbit the shortest race of people in all of middle earth even smaller than the dwarves. Frodo is charged with the task of destroying the most powerful force in middle earth while he is constantly being chased and hunted down to be killed. Frodo’s defect of being a tiny little hobbit and the fact that he can carry the burden of the world upon his shoulders is the classic tale of little people doing big things which is a major theme in many works of literature (Ex. Harry Potter weak skinny nerdy boy challenges Voldemort or Luke Skywalker small farm boy bringing down the entire Empire). Not only was Frodo small in stature but he also carried a scare on his chest from a Mongol blade. The scare on Frodo’s chest to me is very closely related to the scare that Harry Potter has on his forehead, in that they are both over vital parts of the body, the heart and the brain, and they both start to burn whenever the one who gave them the scare approaches. Scares and deformations most of the time are never original but are usually varied and assorted parts of different works.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 22 Foster talks about characters that are blind but can see the whole story and not only see what is in front of them but what lies beyond in the future to come. There is also the protagonist that thinks he has all the answers and knows exactly what he wants to do and how he thinks it should be done. He goes to consult with the wise blind man just to reassure himself about what he is doing even though in his mind is already made up. So when the blind man tells him a different story the protagonist tells him he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and doesn’t heed the blind man’s words because what can he know he’s blind. As soon as a read this chapter my mind was drawn to Luke Skywalker consulting the old and worn if not completely blind Yoda on the planet Dagobah in the quest literature series of Star Wars. Luke, a young man moving his way up from a small farm boy into the ultimate Jedi of the universe he thinks he is, is suddenly brought back down to Earth(or Tatooine)when the old wise sage Yoda tells him he is far from becoming a true Jedi knight. Luke thinks Yoda doesn’t know what is right and so not heeding the warnings of Yoda Luke goes off and faces Darth Vader alone without complete proper training and Luke only narrowly escapes but not without a reminder of the choice he made, his hand is cut off and he is deformed for the rest of his life. Wait I think I’ve heard that one before where the protagonist has a scare or deformation that sets him apart from all the rest. Luke was not mindful of the old ragged Yoda’s words and in the end the words came true Yoda saw the whole story not just the tip of the ice berg but the whole dang thing but like so many others the advice was thrown to the wind and a costly mistake was made. Do it for the Kids.
I agree with Katie and how she explains the irony in Romeo and Juliet. Many people want to focus on the romance and situations the two face, but in the end it turns out being pretty ironic that trying to be together ends up killing them both.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 18, Foster talks about how traveling down a river could symbolically represent baptism. When I read this chapter, I decided to connect it to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck travels along the Mississippi River, in which he matures and learns a lot about himself. I see this as an example of baptism because Huck begins his journey as a kid and not really sure what he wants in life. By the end of the journey though, Huck grew to know himself and made his own decisions as if he were a new man.
In Chapter 26, Foster explains how authors put irony into many works of literature. When I thought of irony in a story, I thought of The Great Gatsby and how Jay Gatsby threw huge parties that many people attended. I find that ironic because people would think that he would have a countless amount of friends, but it turns out he has almost no one but Nick. Those people were ultimately using Gatsby for his parties. When Gatsby was murdered, his true friends only came to his funeral. In my opinion, it was very ironic that Gatsby had so many “friends”, but none of them bothered to even show up at his funeral.
So earlier on the first post we did I talked about a book called Swan Song, and I wanted to apply that book to chapter 19 about geography. In the beginning of the book when the bombs fall the two main groups of people start out in very dark and desolete places. One group starts out in a destroyed New York that is almost void of people. And the other group begins in a cornfield that is described as hopeless in the book. But as conditions for the people get better and they come together into one groupso does their geography, it changes to a more southern location where its warmer and safer and the geography really can be used as a guideline for what the general mood of the story is. I wanna take what katie said about illness and use a example kind of like hers. Except in my example instead of needing a brace on a leg the leg has been completely removed, I'm talking about Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. Not only does his leg show his pain but it says everything about him and it makes him the way he is. He lost his leg in a violent fashion and is a violent man. It made him that way, before he lost his leg the secondary characters in the book sung him their praises all the time, but as the story progresses you really learn who he is.
ReplyDeletePreviously, I wrote about the novel Hater by David Moody being connected with Foster's eleventh chapter concerning violence. Chapter 24 of Foster's work explains how its
ReplyDelete"rarely just illness." In Moody's novel, 'the change' is considered an illness. However, the 'illness' is Moody's way of showing how paranoia can damage families and society in general.
I also connected Hater to chapter 19 of Foster's work. The chapter about geography. Moody's characters are confused as to why they changed and why their families didn't. During this confusion, the story is set in the city. However, when the characters reach the woods while running from the unchaged people, things become clearer to them. To begin to understand what was happening to them and why they changed, the haters had to get away from the busy city to the serinity and overall calmness of the woods.
Also, I thought of The Adventures of Huck Finn from my previous posts. In chapter 21, Foster talks about being 'Marked for Greatness.' In that time, being black, in my opinion can be viewed as a physical handicap or deficiency. Knowing Jim's color and the time setting of the book, the reader can assume he will do something great. In this case, taking care of Huck.
It seems as though you were all able to apply Foster's ideas to works of both commercial and literary fiction, and that's great. You also have a grasp on the fact that a lot of Foster's ideas overlap with one another and therefore will not stand in isolation in terms of creating theme and meaning in a work. I want you to remember these ideas as you read and view other texts over break. Hone your analytical skills by keeping your brain active Foster-style. We will continue to use his ideas as we go forth in our summer reading adventures.
ReplyDeleteTanae said...
ReplyDeleteSo finally finished this book!!! Feel like I accomplished a lot!!! It wasn't as bad as I though it would be! Overall... A+!
Now time to start talking buisness. Since I talked about Huck Finn, I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon of discussing Chapter 19. Geogrphy Matters is the chapter that best relates to what I had talked about in one of my previous blogs. Jim and Huck travel up the Mississippi River to help guide Jim to freedom.That journey that the two embark on is very important in the novel. That is what actually makes the novel if you think about it. Everything they go through, the process of Huck becoming "civilized" is through the journey they take. Foster discusses how geography is important to the novel and the importance it plays. The Mississippi River was the transportation and the guide to lead Jim to freedom. Also, for Huck to be a little white boy and Jim to be a black "runaway slave" was not a good image for the two traveling along the Mississippi. So I believe the location and time both mesh well together to enhance the novel.
So Chapter 26, which I like to call the "Ironies Chapter", captured my attention because just about every work of American literature we read has some Irony. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is married to a woman whose name I can't remember, but the ironic part about it is that Daisy, Gatsby lover, kills her. Daisy wasn't suppose to be driving the car, but ironically she was and when Gatsby's wife rolled in roll... Daisy just happened to roll over her... Tragic and Ironic.
I've really enjoyed reading this book. It was way better than what I thought!! I just really hate that I was late with every blog. But I promise with Frankenstein i will stay on track!!! Thank you so much for being patient with me!!! Now time to start reading Frankinstein!!! Have a Happy 4th everyone!!!
Does anyone have chapter summaries for all of the chapters please?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have chapter summaries for all of the chapters please?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have chapter summaries for all of the chapters please?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have chapter summaries for all of the chapters please?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have chapter summaries for all of the chapters please?
ReplyDelete