AP LITERATURE PRE-REQUISITE READING
2018-19
HOW
TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR—BLOG
1. Foster says
that “reading literature is a highly intellectual activity.” He discusses the “language of reading” and
the “grammar of literature.” What does
he mean by these things and why are they important for the kind of reading he
is discussing in this book? How is this
kind of reading different from purely “affective” reading? What is the true value of “reading like a
professor” according to Foster? Be sure
to use textual evidence to support your answer.
2.
King Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the
sun." Foster applies this precept saying that all "writing and
telling belong to one big story." What does he mean by this? How does this idea add to understanding and
the richness of the reading experience? How have you seen this principle in action in
your own experience with art in general?
3.
Foster discusses the “dialogue between…texts.” He refers to this as “intertextuality.” What is the significance, value, and effect
of this textual connection? How does it
inform and enhance our reading experiences?
Is intertextuality intentional or serendipitous? How does it operate? How might it relate to the “one big
story?” How might it relate to
archetypes, symbols? When have you
noticed intertextuality at work in the “real” world? What is the “mythic level?”
4.
Foster talks about the relationship between the reader and the
writer suggesting that, “reading is an event of the imagination…a reader’s
imagination is the act of one creative intelligence engaging another (the
writer’s). How does this occur? What does this suggest about the nature and
process of reading and writing?
5.
After studying Foster, what ideas about the process, the
experience, and the purposes of reading seem significant? What are the philosophical underpinnings of
his book about books? What does it mean
to be literate? What does it mean to
read? How does this relate to “being
human?” What will you carry with you
from this book?
6.
Foster talks about the “symbolic level.” How does this inform the kind of reading
professors (and AP Lit. students) do?
How does one work to read in this manner? What does it require of us as readers?
7.
Where or how does ambiguity come into play in a reader's
experience? How might ambiguity work within a piece of literature (or art of
any kind?) How does it impact our
understanding, and appreciation of a text?
