Reading, Reading, Reading

 How to Read Literature Like a Professor

I thought it was really funny when the author said, "It's never just rain." It's much more special than just droplets of water falling from the sky; there's some meaning to it. Foster said that at times, Noah is what it signifies. Ya know, plenty of rain, the flood, the giant ark and of course, the peaceful rainbow at the end. There can be a biblical parallel when you find a rain scene. Rain sets a mood of scariness and mysteriousness. I mean, when haven't you wanted to start off a scary story with "It was a dark and stormy night"? That's the first line that pops up in my mind. Rain can  be cleansing, symbolically. In A Farewell of Arms(1929), the grieving protagonist walks out of the hospital into pouring rain. Rain's associated with life-giving in the the spring, not with death. That's strangely ironic. Well, as you can see, rain can be used for a lot of different reasons. He also talks about what's so special about fog, snow, and rainbows. Rainbows symbolize peace between heaven and earth. So, next time I read literature and spot a rainbow, I'll advance past the pot of gold and leprechauns and try to find the underlying message. I think Foster thinks of some pretty strange analyzes, but they're funny and really get you thinking about different ways to look at things. Not just simply reading, but reading in between the lines. If a symbol can be reduced to only one meaning, it's not symbolism, it's allegory. Symbols can have many meanings, however you interpret it.

Vocab!!!

1. Malicious- (adj.) having a desire to cause harm to someone
2. Verisimilitude- (n.) the quality of depicting realism
3. Bludgeoning- (n.) a hit with heavy impact
4. Indignant- (adj.) feeling or showing anger because of something unjust
5. Grandeur- (n.) magnificence