Sealed with a Twist.

"Carter employs not only materials from earlier texts but also her knowledge of our responses to them in order to double-cross us, to set us up for a certain kind of thinking so that she can play a larger trick in the narrative."

In chapter 5 of How to Read Literature like a Professor, Foster talks about how authors draw on previous works of literature. While I was aware that common patterns and themes exist in literature, I merely thought it was a coincidence, or a necessity in order to create a great story. Rather, we are aware of these commonalities when we read, and we begin to anticipate what might happen next, or how the story will end. Afterall, common themes exist that are true for all people at all times; furthermore, I think there is some wonder in realizing that people who lived long before us are not so different from us. Nevertheless, authors are aware of the way we respond to literature, and they use this knowledge to their advantage. Aware of the way we absorb and interpret literature, authors sometimes throw a wrench in the gears, and deliver something totally unexpected, a twist. One of my favorite books, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, offers an unexpected twist at the end of her novel. A twist at the end of a story makes that story all the better, because we were already drawn in by one of the literary heavy-hitters, such as a timeless Shakespearian theme.