How to Read Literature Like a Professor

PresentationsCassie Herald

Tanner Wilson

Honors English IV

Introduction•HTRLLAP is a book by Thomas Foster that discusses how

to read beyond the lines of text in literature, and look into something much greater.

• The book covers many topics, over 20 chapters of different topics that Foster explores.

•With each topic, he goes in-depth of how to not only look at text on the lines, but between and beyond the lines.

“…More Than It’s Going to Hurt You: Concerning Violence”

•This is Chapter 11 in Foster’s book.

•Literally, this chapter is over violence.

•It discusses the main points that violence plays in a work of literature.

•These points vary.

Main Points • Violence can create symbolism, a metaphor, and can create a

theme.

• Violence is all throughout literature.

• Real life violence compared to violence in literature.

• Death, weight, and burden.

• Accidents are not just accidents.

Examples in HTRLLAP

•Beloved

•D. H. Lawrence, William Faulkner.

•Slavery.

The Kite Runner Overview

•Amir, Baba, Hassan, Assef, Sohrab, Rahim Khan…

•A kid who has a friend that is a servant and after a kite fight, both lives are changed forever.

•Themes and metaphors.

Violence in The Kite Runner

•Rape.

•Stoning.

•Fighting.

Relationship Between HTRLLAP and The Kite Runner •Rape scene makes the plot advance.

•Also related to Faulkner.

• Stoning- Weight and burden.

• Sins.

• Fight for redemption.

•Real life vs. literature.

Slavery•Slavery in HTRLLAP compared to The Kite

Runner.

•Taliban vs. slave owners.

•Control over a race, using extreme force.

•Metaphor.

Other Works Relating to Violence• Of Mice and Men

• George shooting Lennie.

• Lennie squishing Curly’s hand.

• The Great Gatsby

• Tom Buchanan hitting Myrtle.

• Myrtle being hit by Daisy.

• Gatsby laying dead in the pool.

• The Hunger Games

• Violence everywhere.

Closing

•Any Questions?