How to Read Literature Like a Professor Ch 7-10

Questions and Answers

What refers to a classification of literature?

Literary canon (correct)

Literary devices

Literary theory

Book club

Who was the only modern British woman writer that made the cut at a lot of schools when Foster was in school?

Virginia Woolf

Why should you not reference Homer?

Not everyone would get the message.

Why should you not reference Shakespeare?

You might turn off some readers for trying too hard and all of the good quotes are taken. Signup and view all the answers

What should you reference that a majority of the population would know?

Kiddie lit (children's stories) Signup and view all the answers

What children's story probably has the most drawing power?

Hansel and Gretel Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Gingerbread House (1969) about the same theme as Hansel and Gretel?

Robert Coover Signup and view all the answers

What does the witch in The Gingerbread House gradually turn into?

Black rags Signup and view all the answers

What is the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant?

Metonymy Signup and view all the answers

Where does the story end in The Gingerbread House?

When the kids entered the house Signup and view all the answers

What do authors do with fairy tales in their stories?

Mess it up Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote the book The Bloody Chamber (1979) about exposing sexism in classic fairy tales?

Angela Carter Signup and view all the answers

How do you use fairy tales in your writing?

Use it to emphasize a point in the story like getting lost; use bits and pieces of the fairy tale; you don't have to use it all. Signup and view all the answers

What is the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning?

Irony Signup and view all the answers

Which German brothers revised and wrote down old German fairy tales?

Brothers Grimm Signup and view all the answers

What is a body of story that explains things chemistry, physics, and math can't explain?

Myth Signup and view all the answers

Which German composer of operas used Germanic myths for his operas?

Richard Wagner Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote 'Yellow Woman'?

Leslie Marmon Silko Signup and view all the answers

Who was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus?

Icarus Signup and view all the answers

Which painting featured plowmen and shepherds but also a drowning boy?

Landscape with Fall of Icarus Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Musee des Beaux Arts, which discusses private suffering?

W.H. Auden Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Landscape with Fall of Icarus, discussing the scene and thematic elements?

Carlos Williams Signup and view all the answers

Which Nobel Peace Prize winner wrote Omeros about characters named after The Iliad?

Derek Walcott Signup and view all the answers

Why do people make references to myths?

To show how these heroes are just like us and how everyone has the potential for greatness. Signup and view all the answers

What is Homer's epic poem of the story of the Trojan War?

The Iliad Signup and view all the answers

Who is king and leader of Greek forces?

Agamemnon Signup and view all the answers

Who is the greatest Greek warrior in The Iliad?

Achilles Signup and view all the answers

Who was a hero to the Trojans killed by Achilles?

Hector Signup and view all the answers

Who was king of Sparta and whose wife was taken by Paris?

Menelaus Signup and view all the answers

Who was Achilles' best friend that was killed?

Patroclus Signup and view all the answers

Who was a Roman poet that wrote the Aeneid?

Virgil Signup and view all the answers

Who was a mythical Greek warrior that was a leader on the Trojan side of the Trojan War?

Aeneas Signup and view all the answers

What was a movie by Joel and Ethan Coen about prisoners trying to get home?

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Signup and view all the answers

What is a book by James Joyce about an older man wandering around Dublin?

Ulysses (1922) Signup and view all the answers

What is written by the Roman poet Ovid?

Metamorphoses Signup and view all the answers

Which Greek playwright wrote about Oedipus Rex?

Sophocles Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote the Percy Jackson series about a modern teenager who discovers he is a demigod?

Rick Riordan Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of an opening line from a novel that begins with 'It was a dark and stormy night'?

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Signup and view all the answers

What is significant about rain?

It is used as a plot device, it shows misery, it's clean, it's restorative, it's the principal element of spring. Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote 'The Three Strangers' about a condemned escaped man?

Thomas Hardy Signup and view all the answers

Who was the woman in Song of Solomon who tries to impress her lover?

Hagar Signup and view all the answers

What is a book written by Ernest Hemingway about a man whose girlfriend just passed during childbirth?

A Farewell to Arms (1929) Signup and view all the answers

Who is the main character in A Farewell to Arms whose lover passed during childbirth?

Frederic Henry Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Dead?

James Joyce Signup and view all the answers

Who tells her husband about her long-dead love for Michael Furey in The Dead?

Gretta Conroy Signup and view all the answers

Who was Gretta Conroy's childhood love in 'The Dead'?

Michael Furey Signup and view all the answers

What poem features the line 'April is the cruelest month'?

The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot Signup and view all the answers

What was a book about the Fisher King mythology of the Arthurian legends?

Jessie L.Weston's From Ritual to Romance (1920) Signup and view all the answers

What are rainbows a sign of?

Divine promise, peace between heaven and earth Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of rainbows in literature?

The Rainbow (1916) by Lawrence and 'The Fish' (1947) by Elizabeth Bishop Signup and view all the answers

What is fog a sign of?

Confusion Signup and view all the answers

What is used to represent the Court of Chancery in Dickens's book, The Bleak House?

Miasma (a literal and figurative fog) Signup and view all the answers

What are signs of snow?

Clean, stark, severe, warn, inhospitable, inviting, playful, suffocating, filthy Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote the 'Snow Man' (1923) in which snow indicates inhuman, abstract thought?

William H. Gass Signup and view all the answers

Who does Foster point out when teaching The Iliad for their rapid deaths shortly after being introduced?

Charioteers (of Hector) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most important thing a character can do?

Change, grow, develop, learn, mature Signup and view all the answers

Why does Achilles rejoin the Greek army?

Patroclus says if he does not rejoin the Greek army, Patroclus will lead the army himself. Signup and view all the answers

What does Patroclus have that makes him almost as good as Achilles?

Achilles' armor Signup and view all the answers

Which god makes armor for Achilles?

Hephaestus Signup and view all the answers

What's the problems with being pals with a hero?

The hero has needs on their behalf but cannot fulfill them if the story is to continue. Signup and view all the answers

Who in The Last of the Mohicans dies giving the protagonist a motive for revenge?

Uncas Signup and view all the answers

What are characters?

They are NOT people but products of writers' and readers' imaginations. Signup and view all the answers

What three movies were about young men who had conflict with the world?

Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Saturday Night Fever (1977), and Top Gun (1986) Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Lord Jim in which Jim's overconfidence led to tragedy?

Joseph Conrad Signup and view all the answers

Who directed the film Lawrence of Arabia about TE Lawrence's disciples?

David Lean Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Aspects of the Novel and coined the round and flat characters?

E.M. Forster Signup and view all the answers

What are characters full of traits and capable of change known as?

Round (dynamic) characters Signup and view all the answers

What is a character who lacks development called?

Flat (static) character Signup and view all the answers

Why aren't all characters round?

Makes it confusing which characters gets the focus, gets our attention; labor -- too much work. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Hamlet's uncle and the villain of the play?

Claudius Signup and view all the answers

Who tries to give attention to minor characters by giving them tic or taglines?

Dickens Signup and view all the answers

Who were two hapless characters that Hamlet outsmarted?

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Signup and view all the answers

Who said, 'Plot is character revealed in action'?

Aristotle Signup and view all the answers

What are writers who attempt to control every facet of their creative output called?

Intentionalist Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Literary Concepts and Terms

Literary Canon: Classifies literature; refers to significant works deemed important for specific periods or places.
Metonymy: A figure of speech where an attribute or adjunct is substituted for the thing meant (e.g., "Washington" as a reference to the U.S. government).
Myth: A significant body of story that explains aspects of life beyond the reach of science, such as chemistry or physics.
Irony: The use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite to its literal definition.

Significant Authors and Works

Virginia Woolf: Notable modern British woman writer, widely taught during Foster's time in school.
Angela Carter: Authored The Bloody Chamber (1979), which critiques sexism in classic fairy tales.
Robert Coover: Wrote The Gingerbread House (1969), inspired by the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
Derek Walcott: Nobel laureate and author of Omeros (1990), which reflects on characters inspired by The Iliad.
James Joyce: Wrote Ulysses (1922), capturing a day in the life of a man in Dublin.
Joseph Conrad: Author of Lord Jim, exploring themes of overconfidence and consequence.

Key Characters from Classical Literature

Achilles: The greatest Greek warrior, his heel is his only vulnerability; involved in the Trojan War.
Patroclus: Achilles' best friend whose death propels Achilles back into combat.
Hector: Trojan hero killed by Achilles in the Trojan War.
Agamemnon: King of Greece and chief leader of the forces in the Trojan War.
Aeneas: A Trojan warrior and leader who plays a pivotal role in the Aeneid by Virgil.

Fairy Tales and Adaptations

Hansel and Gretel: A children’s tale with strong cultural resonance; adaptation by Robert Coover explores darker themes.
Use of Fairy Tales: Authors employ elements of fairy tales to enhance themes in their writing, often reinterpreting or subverting traditional narratives.

Thematic Elements in Literature

Rain: Symbolizes various themes such as misery, restoration, and the arrival of spring, as reflected in multiple literary works.
Fog: Represents confusion; seen prominently in Dickens' Bleak House to indicate the complexity of situations.
Snow: Signifies starkness, severity, or purity while conveying a range of emotions from clean to suffocating.

Characters in Conflict

Round and Flat Characters:
- Round (Dynamic) Characters: Complex personalities capable of change.
- Flat (Static) Characters: Simplistic figures lacking development.
Importance of Character Development: Characters must evolve, reflecting change, growth, and maturation, often driven by their relationships with others.

Notable Film and Poetic References

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?": A film about prisoners striving for freedom; highlights the themes of journey and discovery.
*"The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot: Famous for its line "April is the cruelest month," reflecting on renewal and personal suffering.

Relationships and Heroism

Heroic Relationships: In literature, heroes often have relationships that drive the plot, requiring personal sacrifices and difficult choices.
Lessons from Mythology: Myths illustrate how ordinary individuals can embody greatness, encouraging readers to see their potential.

Miscellaneous

"It was a dark and stormy night": Famous opening line from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel, often cited as an example of poor writing.
Literary Rainbows: Symbolize divine promise and peace; featured in texts by Lawrence and Bishop.
Conflicts in Tales: The struggle between heroism and personal flaws is a recurring theme throughout literature.

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Test your knowledge of chapters 7-10 and the Interlude from 'How to Read Literature Like a Professor'. This quiz features flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and notable authors. Perfect for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of literary analysis.