In Chapter 4, "Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?, considers that all stories belong to one big story. Foster means that as we read we notice ideas, words, scenarios, and many other fragments of a story that come from one original text. Foster states, "there's no such thing as a wholly original work of literature.", justifying that all work is borrowed from a larger text or story. Therefor adding to the richness of the reading experience, as you read and notice something that you've heard or read before, it expands your view of the plot and where the story is going to go.
In Chapter 5, "When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare..." examines that every bit of literature has a piece of Shakespeare within it. Foster also provides a list of common sayings that we hear and read everywhere but are all from Shakespeare. Foster states, for example, "To be, or not to be, that is the question." Which has been stated in many quotes, books, short stories, and many other things. Demonstrating that everything comes from one big work.
In Chapter 6, "...Or the Bible.”, inspects all of the scenarios that are in the bible that are brought into modern literature. Whether it is bits and pieces or one whole setting or scenario, it can mostly all be in relation to the bible even if it doesn't have anything to do with religion itself. If you are a religious person, and there is a part of a book that talks about religion, it makes it more personal, as if they are talking to you. That is the art of borrowing from one big work, and knowing what it came from, is that it all makes it more intimate.
These three chapters shows that there is not one modern original story, it all comes from one big story. Therefor making the story more relatable. I have seen this principle while reading the Odyssey, and many of the scenarios are carried out into literature to this day. Whether it is a manipulated version or just fragments, I knew the original story that it came from, which added to the richness of reading.
Of course I love that you can reference The Odyssey! It is interesting how modern day authors (and audiences) value "originality," whereas the ancients were interested in how closely they could echo other works. Either attitude still yields incredible allusions. We love familiarity...with a twist.
ReplyDeleteI think the modern and postmodern eras of literature, as you imply, are defined by their ironic qualities. They have realized that many good concepts, characters, or ideas have now been so overused that they are cliché and not as symbolically spicy. By utilizing ironic inversions of these archetypes, they are able to squeeze even more meaning out of these classical concepts, characters, or ideas. Now authors try to get more out of them by merging genres, text formats, and utilizing the different cultural implications of certain symbols. The prevalence of anime and other modern eastern texts has brought many eastern symbols, like the dragon as a wise being, to western audiences. The inverse has occurred as well, with eastern takes on western symbols, like classic horror tropes and wild west archetypes, breathing new life into the genres.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the richness of reading that he showed, and actually was quite shocked that I was started to notice little things that I do while reading without realizing it. I found it also somewhat comforting to know that I actually was processing emotions and themes from certain books and not just reading them. Like how in one chapter he discusses how readers have the imagination to create something exquisite in their mind which makes reading even more special.
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DeleteI completely agree with you. As I was reading Foster's book I was also surprised with how quickly I build relationships and emotions that connect with the story line and the characters. The section that you mentioned involving chapter 4 still amazes me. The simple idea of lituature worked around things that are femiliar only adds to the ambigous mindset of finding different meanings. The way lituatre always works back to something well known only makes the reading experience better when you find a pharse or a symbol that you can find elsewhere.