Blog 16

Now I begin my entries for How to Read Literature Like a Professor. This book is such a huge change from the slightly religious biography Into the Wild. Thomas C. Foster has a very different way of writing. One major difference I caught on immediately was Foster’s way of writing quick, short sentences and the way the sentences read like Foster is talking directly to me. Another difference I could read was Foster’s sense of humor. Here are a few examples I liked especially, “…intercourse has meanings other the sexual, or at least did at one time…” or “…breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace, since if you’re breaking bread you’re not breaking heads.” And my final choice is, “And eating is eating, with some slight variations of table manners.” This novel is much more light and airy than Into the Wild and its deep and heavy message through the story of the tragic death of Christopher McCandless. So far Foster has taught me that a meal is not always just a meal, but has some symbolic meaning. He has also taught me that a bike ride to the local grocery store for a loaf of bread can be a quest of self-discovery. And finally, Foster has taught me that vampires are also very symbolic. They go beyond just being creepy looking men, because they can symbolize a darker force destroying what is young and innocent. Another important aspect Foster has brought to my attention is that these symbolisms are not always going to happen, because there will be an author out there who decides to think out of the box and break the cookie-cutter form. So far I think I like this novel, mainly because of its much light-hearted and humorous nature.