A review of the selected chapters of thomas foster’s ‘how to read literature like a professor’

In chapter one the author goes into detail about a 16 year old kid named Kip who’s on a trip to the store, although the author considers it to be a quest. The quest consists of a Knight, a dangerous road, a dragon, one evil Knight, and one princess. With basic thinking, a quest can consist of a total of five different things, including a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, and challenges and trials on route, and just a reason to go there. There’s always a reason for the journey that a character or person takes so I do agree with the author in this story. In fact there are some examples I could give that show that there’s always a reason for a quest, like in Shrek when he was getting threatened to get his swamp taken away unless he rescued Princess Fiona from her castle which was heavily guarded by a big, fire breathing dragon. Another example is in Cinderella, when she had to get passed her evil step sisters just to go out and have fun and meet a guy and she did just that and met the guy of her dreams that would rescue her from her step sisters.

In chapter two the author talks about characters who are eating a meal while symbolism is taking place. Eating a meal with another character shows how the character feels toward them and it shows whether or not you like the person/character or not. The author also does state that in the story when people are eating a meal together it’s as if they are saying, “ I’m with you, I like you, we form a community together.” I agree with the author in this chapter because I do believe that having a meal with another person/character can show how you feel toward the person you’re having a meal with and whether or not you like them or not. A few examples that I have in mind are from the movie Wonder, when a little boy that wasn’t born the same as everyone else came to school his very first day and everyone looked at him funny except for a few kids and when they sat and ate with him at lunch it showed how much they liked that little boy and how much they cared for him. Another example is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, when no one wanted to eat with Greg and Rowley causes they thought they were weird, and losers and when Greg and Rowley tried to eat with others at lunch the characters would be rude and not let them eat with them.

In Chapter three, the author is explaining how Vampirism isn’t just always about vampires. Vampirism is selfishness and exploitation, it is a characteristic in which a character can represent. How a vampire takes advantage of its prey is the same way of a human doing so, they are both considered vampirism. I agree with what the author is saying in this chapter because it really isn’t about vampires it’s about everything and anything that is selfish and rude not only and not all vampires it can just be anything that is selfish. For example, in the TV show My babysitters a vampire not all of the vampires were bad and for the ones that were they would take advantage of some people just so that they can bite them and turn them into vampires. Another example is in the movie the babysitter, where there is an awful babysitter who invites her teenage friends over and they use the child’s blood for a ritual thing, and they are trying to take advantage of the young kid by taking his blood while he’s asleep.

In chapter eleven, the author is trying to explain that violence is a part of life and not only bad things come from violence. As the author said in the story, violence is one of the most intimate acts between human beings, and he also said to be symbolic, thematic, biblical, Shakespearean, romantic, allegorical, and transcendent. I agree with the author because I believe as well that violence is a part of life and it sometimes just happens for a reason. An example I could is from the movie Ted, in which John and Ted got into an argument after John’s girlfriend broke up with him, and that just sparked up everything as they immediately took out all of their emotions on each other and started fighting. Another example would be from Batman vs. Superman in which they were told to fight each other and the real antagonist of the movie cause bad blood with them and cause them to have the big fight against each other, God vs. Bat.

In chapter twelve, the author talks about the importance of the symbols. He explains how a symbol only has one meaning, and then in which it is not a symbol, it is allegory. An allegory is when one thing stands for another thing. The most common questions that Foster gets in his class is whether or not something is a symbol. I agree with the author because in most cases and sometimes all symbols do only have one meaning. In the movie the Sandlot in which a new kid comes to town and has no friends until a kid named Benny brings him in even though he is a nerd he still becomes part of the group, this movie symbolizes friendship and how a group of friends can connect with anyone no matter what they look like or how they play. Or in the movie Transformers Revenge of the Fallen when Optimus Prime dies and only he can beat the Fallen in a fight but Sam never gives up and he finds the spark to stick in Optimus Primes heart so that he can save him, this symbolizes how close friends will do anything for each other including risking one’s life just to save them.

In chapter 14, the author talks about how America is basically a Christian culture despite the religious diversity. Many cultural artifacts have been have been and were influenced by the Christian culture. It is very good to know the basics of Christianity when you are studying American Literature. It’s good to know who Jesus is and what his attributes are exactly. This includes, being aware of forgiveness of sins, self-sacrifice, and historical data. I agree with the author because most of America is a Christian culture and many people in America were taught to be Christian and were taught what Christianity is. In The Lion King when the king Lion protects his son from the big bad lion it shows how much he cares for his son and it shows sacrifice and love. Another example is in 21 Jump Street in which Channing Tatum sacrifices himself for Jonah Hill because they became such good friends and they broke apart for a while but after that they reunited because of the sacrifice.

In Chapter 26, the author describes irony and after he gives examples of very ironic events. The main topic of irony is it takes place through the chapter and it’s very structural and dramatic. It provides the reader to become more interested in the text. I agree with the author because that is what irony is and what it is used for and I understand what he is coming from when he is saying that. An example I’d use is from Ratatouille when a dirty, little rat can cook very well and he meets a guy who is human that can’t cook but he wants a job so the rat helps him and they become best friends. Another example is from Snow White when she bites into a poisonous apple which was given to her and she dies needing only true loves first kiss to awake her.