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How to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapter Analysis

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapter Analysis
How To Read Literature Like a Professor

Chapter 1: Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)

In Chapter 1 the author explains the symbolic reasoning of why a character takes a trip. They don't just take a trip they take a quest. Structurally a quest has a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go there, challenges and trials en route, and a reason to go there. Quests usually involve characters such as a knight, a dangerous road, a Holy Grail, a dragon, an evil knight, and a princess. The quest also involves the character to gain self-knowledge out of taking the adventure to the stated place where he or she is going.

Chapter 2: Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion

Chapter 2 tells of the symbolism that takes place while characters are eating a meal together. The author states that when people eat together it is saying "I'm with you, I like you, we form a community together." The meal also shows how a person feels towards another person. It can show whether you like or dislike the person. The author explains how the description of the food isn't just to inform you of what is being eaten. It is to draw you into the moment and help you feel the realism of that moment.

Chapter 3: Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires

In Chapter 3 the author explains in Chapter three how vampirism isn't always about vampires. Vampirism is a characteristic a character can portray, such as selfishness, exploitation, and rudeness. The character takes advantage of people, like a vampire would to his prey. Many authors actually use vampires, ghosts, or doppelgangers to portray vampiristic qualities instead of letting the reader infer those qualities into a human.

Chapter 4: If It’s Square, It’s A Sonnet

Chapter 4 tells about how sonnets are formed and how to identify a sonnet. Sonnets are in a square shape and they always have 14 lines in them. The author says that sonnets may be challenging to understand, but they are the most interesting poems because they are

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