Literary Analysis - Welcome to Mrs. McCarthy's Class Website

LITERARY ANALYSIS USING HOW TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR TO BECOME A BETTER READER ADD TO YOUR NOTES AS NEEDED WHY DO WE READ? Develop cultural and social awareness

Add to our collective schema Become more adept at recognizing motifs (patterns/ dominate ideas) Learn to better express our own thoughts and ideas to the world at large THE IMPORTANCE OF SYMBOLISM Symbol v. Allegory You define the difference in your

notes Understanding symbols leads to Greater appreciation of author craft Greater understanding of our own approach to lit Greater understanding of elements of the genre Just like football

SYMBOL IN REVIEW: COMMUNION Can be mistaken for a Biblical refence, but not necessarily the case. Any kind of shared meal Also shared drinks/ drugs/ substances COMMUNION: POSITIVE PORTRAYAL

Shared family meal Bringing people together The end or start of an epic quest Drinking/ Drugs shared mind COMMUNION: NEGATIVE EXAMPLES A ruined meal with an abrupt ending

A failed attempt at getting the meal to start A bad drug/ substance experience with others COMMUNION AS A STAND IN Using the symbolic act of a meal as a replacement for other actions

Sexual Aggression/ dominance War/ strategy Prelude to betrayal WWJD: BIBLE AS SYMBOL Symbolic connection is a way to connect cultures through common representation

Western society is drenched in Christianity Common biblical references are a must to understand it Biblical symbols fall into three categories BIBLICAL SYMBOLS Title/ name Frequently a lazy approach to Biblical symbolism

Quick way to make a connection, but weak on its own Direct quote Scene setting/ Bell hanging Can be done well to influence mood BIBLICAL ALLUSION The highest form

A direct or indirect reference to a Biblical source Used to make a much more solid connection Frequently relies upon the reader understanding the reference CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY Similar to Biblical myth Understanding it is a big part of cultural schema

Can be used in all of the ways that Biblical stories can be Tends to focus mainly on Greek Myth, but others like Norse, Native American, and regional, local myths can all be a part of this. BEWARE OF PREJUDICE: PT 1 Symbols do not fit gender norms, or any other kind of norms Christ figure can be a serial killer and still fit the model of a Christ

figure The extent that a symbol accurately connects to the original depends on the author You dont need to mark every box for a symbol to be a symbol If you can see it, its there. BEWARE OF PREJUDICE: PT 2 Every written work is, by its nature, connected to the

period in which is was written We have to learn about the time period in order to really get the meaning. We have to be careful not to put our own understanding on different time period The meaning of symbols changes, but still matters BEWARE THE IRONY

Recognizing and understanding irony is a key skill to develop Irony means a subversion of expectations Requires the reader to understand the symbols and situations