How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Reading literature like a professor is a skill that allows you to delve deeper into the layers of meaning in a text. By learning to recognize patterns, symbols, and themes, and by understanding the historical and cultural context of a work, you can enhance your appreciation and comprehension of literature. This guide provides you with a step-by-step approach to reading literature with a critical and informed eye, much like a seasoned professor would.

Step 1: Understand the Concept of Intertextuality

  • Definition: Intertextuality is the relationship between different texts and how they influence, reference, or echo each other. It’s the way in which literature is interconnected, often through allusions, quotations, or the reworking of familiar stories and themes.
  • Importance: Recognizing intertextuality helps you understand how authors draw on existing works to add depth, create resonance, or engage in a dialogue with past literature. This understanding allows you to see beyond the surface story and appreciate the layers of meaning that are created through these connections.
  • Application: For instance, if you notice that a modern novel references Shakespeare’s Hamlet, you can explore how the themes of madness, revenge, and moral dilemma are reinterpreted in the contemporary context. This step requires you to be familiar with a wide range of literature so that you can spot these references and understand their significance.

Step 2: Identify Common Literary Themes and Symbols

  • Themes: A theme is the central idea or message that a literary work conveys. Common themes in literature include love, death, power, identity, and morality. Understanding these themes allows you to grasp the underlying messages that the author is trying to communicate.
  • Symbols: Symbols are objects, characters, or events that represent larger ideas beyond their literal meanings. For example, a journey might symbolize a character’s personal growth, or a storm might represent turmoil or change. Recognizing symbols can deepen your understanding of the text’s meaning and the author’s intentions.
  • Application: In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the journey of the Joad family is not just a physical journey but also a symbol of their struggle for survival and dignity. By identifying such themes and symbols, you can better understand the broader messages in a text.

Step 3: Recognize Archetypal Characters and Situations

  • Archetypes: Archetypes are universally recognized symbols, characters, and situations that recur across different cultures and literature. These include figures like the hero, the mentor, the villain, and situations like the quest, the initiation, or the fall.
  • Patterns: By recognizing these archetypes, you can see how different stories share similar structures and how these common elements convey universal truths about the human experience.
  • Application: For example, in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry is an archetypal hero who embarks on a quest, faces trials, and undergoes personal growth. Recognizing this pattern helps you understand the narrative’s deeper meaning and its connection to other heroic stories throughout history.

Step 4: Understand the Significance of the Hero’s Journey

  • Structure: The hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth, is a common narrative structure that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, faces and overcomes a crisis, and then returns transformed. This structure is prevalent in many literary works, from ancient myths to modern novels.
  • Stages: The hero’s journey typically includes stages such as the call to adventure, the refusal of the call, the meeting with the mentor, the ordeal, and the return with the elixir.
  • Application: Understanding this structure allows you to see how a character’s journey reflects their internal development and the story’s broader themes. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’s journey is not just a physical one but also a metaphor for his personal growth and the trials of human existence.

Step 5: Analyze the Role of Setting

  • Context: The setting of a literary work is more than just the physical location where the story takes place. It encompasses the historical, cultural, and social context, which can greatly influence the characters, plot, and themes.
  • Symbolism: Consider how the setting might symbolize larger ideas. For example, a setting of confinement might symbolize the character’s emotional or psychological limitations, while an open landscape might represent freedom and possibility.
  • Application: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the setting of East Egg and West Egg reflects the social divide between the old and new money. The characters’ interactions with these settings reveal their social status, values, and the novel’s critique of the American Dream.

Step 6: Consider the Importance of Narrative Perspective

  • Point of View: The narrative perspective, or point of view, shapes how the story is told and how much the reader knows about the characters’ thoughts and feelings. Common points of view include first-person, third-person limited, and omniscient.
  • Impact: The choice of narrative perspective can greatly influence your understanding of the story. A first-person narrator might be unreliable, offering a biased or limited view of events, while an omniscient narrator provides a broader perspective.
  • Application: In William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, the use of multiple first-person perspectives allows you to see the events from different characters’ viewpoints, creating a complex and layered narrative. Analyzing the narrative perspective helps you understand the characters’ motivations and the story’s thematic depth.

Step 7: Explore the Use of Irony and Satire

  • Irony: Irony occurs when there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens. It can add complexity to a narrative, often revealing deeper truths or critiques.
  • Satire: Satire uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to critique or expose the flaws in society, politics, or human nature. It is often used to provoke thought and encourage change.
  • Application: In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, satire is used to criticize the politics and society of the time. By exaggerating and mocking various aspects of society, Swift encourages readers to reflect on the absurdity and corruption of the world around them.

Step 8: Pay Attention to the Author’s Intentions and Historical Context

  • Author’s Intentions: Consider what the author might be trying to convey through their choice of themes, symbols, and characters. Understanding the author’s intentions can provide insight into the deeper meaning of the work.
  • Historical Context: Reflect on the time period in which the work was written and how it might influence the story’s content and themes. Historical context can shape the characters’ actions, the plot’s development, and the work’s overall message.
  • Application: In George Orwell’s 1984, understanding the historical context of the post-World War II era and the rise of totalitarian regimes helps you grasp the novel’s critique of surveillance, propaganda, and the loss of individual freedoms. Analyzing the historical context allows you to see the text as a commentary on the author’s present and its implications for the future.

Step 9: Develop a Habit of Close Reading

  • Focus: Close reading involves paying careful attention to the details in the text, such as word choice, sentence structure, and literary devices. It requires you to read slowly and thoughtfully, analyzing each element of the text.
  • Interpretation: By examining the details, you can uncover the deeper meanings and connections within the work. Close reading allows you to uncover how the author uses language to create meaning, convey themes, and develop characters.
  • Application: For example, when reading a poem by Robert Frost, pay attention to his use of imagery, metaphors, and rhythm. By closely analyzing these elements, you can gain a deeper understanding of the poem’s themes and emotional impact.

Step 10: Consider Multiple Interpretations

  • Openness: Great literature often allows for multiple interpretations. Different readers might find different meanings in the same text, depending on their perspectives, experiences, and knowledge.
  • Discussion: Engage in discussions with others about the text to explore these various interpretations. Listening to different viewpoints can broaden your understanding and reveal aspects of the work that you might have missed on your own.
  • Application: For example, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, some readers might interpret Hamlet’s hesitation to kill Claudius as a sign of weakness, while others might see it as a philosophical struggle with the nature of revenge and morality. Considering these different interpretations enriches your reading experience and deepens your appreciation of the text’s complexity.

Step 11: Reflect on Your Personal Response

  • Personal Connection: Literature is not just about analyzing the text; it’s also about how the text resonates with you personally. Reflect on your emotional and intellectual response to the work. What thoughts and feelings did it evoke?
  • Growth: Consider how the work has influenced your thinking or provided new insights. Reflecting on your personal response helps you connect more deeply with the text and understand how literature can shape your worldview.
  • Application: After reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, you might reflect on your own views about justice, prejudice, and morality. This reflection can lead to a deeper understanding of both the novel and your own beliefs.

Step 12: Write and Discuss Your Insights

  • Journaling: Keep a reading journal where you jot down your thoughts, questions, and interpretations as you read. Writing about the text helps clarify your ideas and allows you to explore your interpretations in greater depth.
  • Discussion Groups: Participate in book clubs or discussion groups where you can share your insights and hear others’ perspectives. Engaging in conversation about literature can deepen your understanding and appreciation of the text.
  • Application: For example, after reading a complex novel like James Joyce’s Ulysses, discussing your interpretations and hearing others’ viewpoints can help you uncover new layers of meaning and appreciate the novel’s intricacies.

Conclusion

  • Reading literature like a professor involves developing a set of skills that allow you to delve deeper into the text, recognize patterns, and appreciate the richness of literary works. By following these steps, you can enhance your reading experience, uncover the hidden meanings in literature, and engage with texts on a more profound level. Whether you’re reading for pleasure or academic purposes, these strategies will help you approach literature with a critical and informed eye, much like a seasoned professor.
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