Roadrunner wins again!
Wile E. Coyote's falling off a cliff and surviving is as miraculous as flight!? I know it's not literature, but I automatically thought of Bugs Bunny cartoons when I read this passage, "the act of falling from vast heights and surviving is as miraculous, and as symbolically meaningful, as the act of flight itself" (131).
I found that interesting as I never really consider flight or falling when reading books. It makes sense I suppose if you think of Alice falling down the rabbit hole, but when I consider the witches in the His Dark Materials trilogy, I never saw their flight as symbolic. While I could consider it under the light of them always saving Lyra, always striving to help her and protect her, I feel I would be reaching. Yes they do that often, but I never saw it as freedom since they are always so suppressed! Which could also stand for something if you use Foster's method completely. I am still struggling with believing what Foster has to say on literature. While some of it makes complete sense, a lot of it seems like a far stretch from what the author wrote.
The entire section on politics baffled me. While I am interested in politics on a very basic level, I doubt I would ever find a political reference in my reading - then again that could be that the types of books I read would not have a political connotation to them.
And really, another chapter on religious references? Even though it's based solely on the Christ-like figure rather than the entire Bible, I still find it out there. I do not see self-sacrificing characters as Christ-like. I know you need to have more than one similarity, but if we looked at all the self-sacrificing characters in literature, I'm sure enough references could be found to make that connection... honestly, I don't want religion in all my books. While I respect others beliefs and their needs to see that in a story, I don't want to find it in the books I read.
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Jennifer Prex on Roadrunner wins again!: Also keep in mind that Foster
Kayla Lesko on Roadrunner wins again!: I get what you're saying. Most
Dennis G. Jerz on Roadrunner wins again!: Just because it's possible to
Kayla Lesko on Roadrunner wins again!: I get what you're saying. Most
Dennis G. Jerz on Roadrunner wins again!: Just because it's possible to
Just because it's possible to find a religious meaning in a literary work doesn't mean that's the only way to read the work. And likewise, while some Christian groups initially criticized the Harry Potter books for its witchcraft references, as the story in the books continued, other Christian groups started talking about Harry himself as a figure of Christ.
My point is that Foster is, once again, suggesting one possible way to read literature. Different ways will appeal to different readers, and different ways will be have differing usefulness, depending on the literature you're reading.
I get what you're saying. Most times, I find what Foster writes is something I already know or that I personally wouldn't think the same way.
I'm guessing authors want their main character to have more impact by giving him Christ like qualities. It's actually starting to get kind of old because so many people use it.
Also keep in mind that Foster even wrote earlier in the book that these ideas he suggests do not hold true in every case. "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." These are just ideas to keep in mind while reading and, if it seems to fit and it works for you, then you have something to analyze and write about.