How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Preface: Awareness of the discrepancy between a writer's intentions and a book's reception can allow for deeper analysis of thematic resonance over authorial intent.
Books have lives of their own; writers' intentions do not always align with a book's reception.
Classic examples: Herman Melville (Moby Dick); F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby).
"Moby Dick" was not a smash hit upon release. It gained recognition later, showing how initial reception doesn't define a book's value or depth.
"The Great Gatsby's" subtleties were not initially appreciated, indicating that complex works may require time for audiences to grasp their full meaning.
T.S. Eliot's observation: "Humankind, observed Fitzgerald’s contemporary T. S. Eliot, cannot bear too much reality."
The Moby-Gatsby story: compels attention due to their eventual acclaim despite initial misunderstanding.
World's opinion of a writer's work: only known after two hundred years or so, reinforcing the idea that lasting impact can take generations to assess.
Central precepts of the book: universal grammar of figurative imagery helps develop analytical confidence, encouraging readers to take charge of their reading experience.
Increased analytical confidence = meditation on taking charge of one’s own reading experience by identifying patterns and archetypes.
Negative claims of teens are the same things that have been said about teenagers since he was one.
It is nearly impossible to make a living as a writer and likely to get even harder and they still aspire to be writers. (insight into the dedication required for literary arts)
Some students books were used, hard used, lots of underlinings and broken spines and dog-eared covers.
Students were there at book signing event because they loved their English class, and because the book was written by someone who was (a) in Michigan, (b) coming to their town, and (c) not dead.
Disagreement on interpretation occurs due to use of different analytical apparatuses, reinforcing the subjectivity inherent to literary analysis.
Illusion vs. Reality: The core theme revolves around the contrast between Quixote's imagined world of knights and enchantment and the real world.
Faust legend: hero gets something he wants- power, knowledge -has to give up his soul.
Hansberry's version: Walter Lee resists temptation, doesn't sell his soul.
Mr. Lindner is the devil in "Raisin in the Sun."