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.
Reading literature is a highly intellectual activity because through the reading you can see all of the parallels, symbols, the effects of the setting, and the grammar that is used. Seeing these things opens up a new world to the book, a door that you may not have opened if you weren't reading deeply, or like a professor. The "language of reading" is referring to codes or a set of rules to analyze the text to make sense of the characters and the expansion of the plot. The "grammar of literature" are sets of symbols or parallels to help you understand the story as a whole. When it comes to affective reading, it is more of a rhetorical aspect rather than, let's say, the "language of reading".
The true value of "reading like a professor" is putting aside your belief system, as stated in Chapter 14. After doing so you can read analytically and understand the text in a different light. The title of Chapter 14 is, "Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too", which shows to examine that if you had the Christ figure stuck in your mind as a man, it would inhibit the way you viewed the story, and possibly cause you to perceive the story wrongly.
In Chapter 12, "Is That a Symbol?", Foster states, "Reading literature is a highly intellectual activity, but it also involves affect and instinct to a large degree.", which I believe is part of the true value of "reading like a professor", through interpreting the text into the larger scheme is essential. The instincts that you follow while reading allow you to interpret the true complexity of the story.
I agree that instincts play a large part in the intellectual activity of reading. However, these instincts take time to develop. As Foster says, it takes time and practice to analyze literature like a professor, with the key word being "practice." The grammar of literature helps a reader understand the story, but it does not help if the reader does not know what the grammar of literature is. This knowledge comes from exposure to the "language of reading" to find those patterns of the "grammar of literature." I like that you included the part about viewing a female character as a figure of Christ. It is important to remember that different people have different beliefs and that literature can take any form. I think this also requires practice in order to truly forget one’s own beliefs.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read chapter 14 I realized that I was blind to reading before because of my sense of beliefs, and I never realized how I was interpreting the story and it would be different from everyone. Now that I have read this though I am happy to say that I will most likely be able to read and understand different ideas that I otherwise might’ve not had which makes reading more special and more of a personal experience, when you don’t have all beliefs in your head which makes it easier to see everyone else’s views. Which in the end can help in everyday life not just reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree that reading literature is highly intelligent and does require instincts. I read chapter 12 "Is That a Symbol" and at first I really didn't believe there could be that many symbols. But after reading that chapter and the book, I started to see the patterns and the symbols which heavily influenced my understanding. So after I knew what to look for my instincts just allowed me to almost automatically find the symbols I wouldn't have seen before, like the Christ figure. With that new found knowledge I was able to understand new ideas that I had read before but didn't pick up on. And when Foster says that practice is key, which we have been told our whole lives, I finally understood that the grammar of literature and the language of reading were and are really important and very intelligent.
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