The Logic of Reading

Merriam-Webster defines intellectual as “relating to the ability to think in a logical way.”  To be truly intellectual, one must be able to think through an idea step by step, in order to obtain the final solution to the problem in front of them. 

In this way, reading literature is, like Foster claims, a highly intellectual activity.  In order to effectively read literature, one must be able to uncover a set of symbols to truly grasp the meaning, which involves decrypting the author’s message using logic. 

To fully understand the author’s message, Foster says that readers must use what’s called the “language of reading.”  These are various devices that essentially work like tools on a tool belt; each one has its own specific use that can help to establish a structure, in this case the author’s true meaning.  Foster describes it as “a grammar of literature” made up of “a set of conventions and patterns, codes and rules” that can be used to further understand a textual message (xxiv).  This “grammar of literature” makes the analysis of a passage or story possible.  Typical conventions like character archetypes and plot structures help the reader fully understand what the author is really wanting to say with his story.  An example of this Marvel’s new “superhero” movie, Deadpool.  Although Marvel does it in a different fashion, they use the several character archetypes in order to illustrate the plot of the story, and make it more relatable to the reader.  Instead of having names of the actors, Marvel elected to have the archetype that each character played as their introduction to the audience.

This type of reading allows the reader to engage the text further than if he or she were to simply read it for the subject matter.  By really thinking about and engaging with the hidden messages, the reader can connect further with the author, and potentially engage further with what the author meant. 

When he says “reading like a professor,” Foster means to read closely and look for parts of the story that others would normally oversee.  In literature, this can be applied to the symbols and allegories that authors use to make their stories more intricate and involved.