How to Read Literature Like a Professor - Key Concepts (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering major concepts from Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor to aid exam preparation.

Quest (Foster's five components)

A quest in literature has five parts: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges en route, and a real (hidden) reason to go there; the real reason typically contrasts with the stated one.

Communion

When characters eat or drink together; more than nourishment; signals bonding and relationships, and can reveal social dynamics and tensions.

Breaking bread (symbol)

A symbol of sharing and peace in literature; indicates unity and cooperation rather than conflict.

Dining scene symbolism

Dining scenes reveal character relationships, social norms, power dynamics, tensions, and deeper themes beyond the food.

Vampire (Literal)

An older, attractive figure who is actually evil, violating someone and stealing innocence; literal vampirism as a plot device.

Symbolic vampirism

A metaphor for selfishness, exploitation, or violation of others' autonomy; the vampire motif points to larger moral or social critique.

Essentials of the Vampire story

Core elements: an older oppressive power, a younger innocent victim, a boundary violation (often sexual or moral), and a deeper meaning about exploitation beyond surface.

Intertextuality

Recognizing connections between one story and another; reading texts in dialogue with each other to enrich meaning and awareness.

Biblical allusion

References to biblical stories; can be used to create irony or connect themes; details may change but ideas persist.

Hanseldee and Greteldum

Using fairy tales as a shorthand or template; modern works echo archetypes from Hansel and Gretel and similar tales to ground themes.

Myth

A body of story that matters; myths shape and are shaped by culture and address the great struggles of humanity; often suggests there is essentially one story of human life.

Archetype

A very typical example or pattern (character types, symbols) that recurs across literature; can include moral deformities and physical imperfections that signal inner damage.

Symbol

An object, image, or action with meaning beyond its literal level; meanings can vary by reader and context; symbols operate on multiple layers.

Christ figure

A character who resembles Christ (e.g., sacrifice, wounds, moral testing); used to deepen themes of sacrifice, redemption, and miracles; can be female or non-Christian and still function symbolically.

Flight motif

Flight represents freedom or escape but is often tempered by irony and social constraints; can symbolize liberation or avoidance.

Baptism

Water symbolism representing death and rebirth; drowning can symbolize baptism when death occurs; renaming or transformation can also signal rebirth.

Geography matters

Geography in literature is more than setting; it can reflect psychology, social conditions, industry, and influence character development.

Rain symbolism

Rain is not just weather; it can symbolize cleansing, rebirth, misery, or democratic equality, and can intensify atmosphere or irony.

Snow symbolism

Snow can signify coldness and death or, conversely, purity and playfulness; it can unify characters and underscore stark realities.

Seasonal symbolism

Seasons map to life stages and emotions: Spring=childhood, Summer=romance/adulthood, Fall=decline/harvest, Winter=old age/death; seasons shape mood and themes.

Irony

Irony upends expectations; what characters think will happen contrasts with what actually occurs; a driving force in interpretation and meaning.

Deconstruction

A critical approach that highlights how a text is shaped by its historical moment; cautions against overlaying modern frameworks; asks how meanings are produced within that era.

Garden of Eden (biblical allusion)

Biblical reference to temptation and the fall from grace; used to signal moral or thematic temptations and consequences.

Monster and maker (Frankenstein motif)

The monster motif critiques the creator; the true horror often lies in human ambition and ethical limits rather than the monster itself.

Oedipus motif

Mythical triangle of family, fate, and blindness; used to explore identity, guilt, and complex relationships.

Marked for greatness

Physical marks or deformities signal inner damage or moral burden; marks can indicate past trauma or thematic points.

Blindness (metaphor and literal)

Blindness can be literal or symbolic, signaling ignorance, perception limits, or a deeper truth that characters or readers must grasp.

Heart symbolism

The heart represents emotion; heart disease or imagery can reflect social issues, heartbreak, or moral concerns.

Drowning as rebirth

Drowning can symbolize baptism or a transformative rebirth, signaling transition to a new existence or renewed self.