How to Read Literature Like a Professor

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Every Trip Is a Quest Geography Matters

Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) Five elements: • quester • place to go • reason to go there • challenges/trials 5) real reason to go

Every Trip—cont. • “The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge” (3). • A quest might fail or might not be taken up • “’Always’ and ‘Never’ are not words that have much meaning in literary study” (6).

Every Trip—cont. Having said that . . . Always consider the artist’s argument that might be made through: • the quest • the act of self-knowledge • the specific self-knowledge achieved or attempted • the failure or rejection of the quest/self-knowledge

Geography Matters • Geography/setting is not just physical place • Ask why a writer chose a specific setting, because they do choose setting • “Literary geography is typically about humans inhabiting spaces, and at the same time the spaces that inhabit humans” (166-67).

Geography—cont. • Setting (geography) can involve psychology, attitude, finance, industry, religion, politics, crime, leisure, etc. • Setting can: 1) affect character development, 2) be symbolic • The symbolism of characters going south

Every Trip practice • Beauty and the Beast • Kung Fu Panda • Star Wars I-III • Star Wars IV-VI • The Lion King • Elf • Monsters Inc. • Up • Despicable Me • Shrek • Finding Nemo

Geo Matters • Title • Paraphrase • Diction, imagery, rhyme, rhythm, etc. • Read again • Title again • Argument

How to Read Literature Like a Professor