Every Trip Is A Quest Chapter 1 Summary
Chapter 1- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)
• The Quest (adventure) contains: o The Quester- a person who goes on a journey o A destination o A reason to go there o Challenges and trials along the way
• Questers are usually younger characters that are still attempting to discover what they are looking for.
• The usual reason for a quest is self-knowledge.
• The terms ‘always’ and ‘never’ carry a lot of weight in literature because another author can disprove the statement and the author can possibly be discredited.
• Once a character is introduced, the reader should pay attention to the points of the Quest, which will show whether or not something will happen to them.
Chapter 2- Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion
• Communions are not always holy.
• Communion is seen as an …show more content…
act of peace and sharing.
• Characters are enabled to overcome an internal struggle or obstacle by communion.
• Communion can indicate how well/poorly characters get along with each other.
• Scenes depicting a communion often attempt a forced empathy from the reader to the character.
Chapter 3- Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
• The ‘vampire’ in a story doesn’t have to be literal; it can symbolize a character who attempts to remove the life, vitality, and/or spirit from another character.
• The protagonist tends to symbolize life and vitality.
• The author favors using the contrast between the protagonist and antagonist to show the conflict between good and evil.
• The portrayal of a ‘vampire’ in literature can be used in a literal sense to show a conflict between the pure and impure.
• Metaphorically, a single character, group, or society itself can be shown as vampires if they contain similar characteristics, such as impurity.
• The vampire character often represents a standard or idea that the author wants to appear distasteful.
Chapter 4- If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet
• Sonnets are the most recognizable forms of poetry, which have been common ever since the Renaissance.
• The poem’s shape matters, especially in sonnets, because it becomes a key in the overall meaning of the poem.
• It is best to read the poem entirely before attempting any analysis on its style.
• Sonnets are the most versatile, agreeable, and ubiquitous of any poems.
• The two types of sonnet are Pentrachan and Shakespearean.
• Different choices and images the author uses for their poem may possible show the work’s literary cleverness.
Chapter 5- Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
• There is no such thing as a completely original work of literature, as stories grow out of other stories.
• There will always be something that at least slightly resembles or references something else, despite whether or not the author meant to do it intentionally.
• There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated
• Intertexuality is recognizing what connects one story with another, which in turn brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be aware of.
• All literature builds on what has preceded it.
• Authors use allusions to other novels in their works to give the reader a deeper comprehension into the nature of a character, location, or event that just took place.
Chapter 6- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare…
• Writers use what is common in a culture as a kind of shorthand. Shakespeare is pervasive, so he is frequently echoed.
• Shakespeare’s works are so influential that we may not even realize that a quote, etc. belonged to him.
• Shakespeare’s influence is used by many authors throughout history because it has become a basis for literary concepts.
• All writers tend to “reinvent” their own Shakespeare by using similar plots and situations that appear in his works.
• Authors play off of Shakespeare simply because the world is so familiar with his works.
Chapter 7- …Or the Bible
• Before the mid-20th century, writers could count on people being very familiar with Biblical stories, a common literary piece a writer could tap.
• When the Bible is alluded to, it is expected that the reader will recognize it.
• “Archetypes” are patterns in both characters and situations.
• Allusions to the Bible aren’t always straightforward.
• The details may change in a biblical allusion, but the main ideas are similar.
Chapter 8- Hanseldee and Greteldum
• Most works today make references that pertain and are relevant to today’s culture, i.e. a reference that is common knowledge. The author wouldn’t make a reference the reader can’t understand.
• Most authors attempt not to use common references that appear in many other works.
• Commonly, writers use references from children’s literature, such as the Dr. Seuss books or nursery rhymes, to allow for a wider range of people who would understand the reference. Fairytales are also commonly used.
• Writers can also use entire storylines from fairytales, but attempt to “modernize” the story or put their own twists into it. However, the moral of the story and the main pot shouldn’t be changed.
• When you are reading, it is always a good idea to search for any familiar plot, characters, scenarios, etc.
Chapter 9- It’s Greek to Me
• Myth is a body of story that matters—the patterns present in mythology run deeply in the human psyche.
• Myths are used to explain events, people, behaviors, etc. and are the part of stories that really matter.
• Commonly, writers who publish classical works rely on some cultural or tribal myths to support the plot of their novels.
• Myths are often used to teach the reader a moral or a lesson that can be applied to our everyday lives and also show the many struggles we must endure through life.
• By using myths, writers can make their own works have a more comfortable feel to the reader.
Chapter 10- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
• In literature, every action, event, and description serves a purpose, even the weather. If it is snowing, there is a specific purpose the author added it for- not just because they felt like adding it.
• Weather can easily change the mood of the story or the mood of a character. The weather can also connect the reader to the story, as it is easier for the reader to identify with something that can occur in reality.
• The four primary purposes for rain are: o Plot devices- Weather can force characters into certain settings and circumstances, which then changes the plot and moves the story in a different direction. o Atmospherics- The rain creates imagery in the reader’s mind, which can range between peaceful and calm to eerie and dark. o Misery factor- The rain forces the character(s) into undesirable, and possibly dangerous, circumstances. o Democratic element- The weather in a novel affects everyone, not just a single character.
• Rain can be used symbolically as well. It can represent cleanliness, restoration, and life itself.
• Fog represents confusion and the snow can either represent fun and enjoyment or death.
Chapter 11- …More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
• Violence has a wide array of uses in literature.
It can be symbolic, thematic, biblical, Romantic, allegorical, Shakespearian, and also transcendent.
• Violence in literature also tends to make the reader question why, bringing into question moral and ethical views on the event.
• There are two categories of violence in literature. The first is violence that the character caused, such as shootings, stabbings, drownings, bombings, hit and runs, poisonings, etc. The second is death and suffering for which the characters aren’t responsible.
• Commonly in literature, the author attempts to make the reader feel a strong personal connection with either a character that dies or a character that kills someone else. This makes the reader become attached to the character and feel a stronger emotion when that character dies and causes a psychological dilemma in the reader.
• Accidents in literature are never truly accidents. The author always plans them in the storyline and usually serve a larger purpose.
• In fiction, violence often becomes a symbol, which carries a weight the reader can feel.
Chapter 12- Is That a
Symbol?
• Figuring out what symbols are and what they mean is tricky. One can only discuss possible meanings and interpretations.
• There isn’t a definite meaning of a symbol in literature unless it is an allegory.
• Actions, as well as objects and images, can be symbolic.
• An easier way to determine what symbols are and what they mean is to pay attention to how you feel about a text. Symbols are most commonly built on associations the reader has to actions, images, and objects, but also on emotional reactions of the reader.
• The more the reader exercises their symbolic imagination when reading, the better and faster it will work when reading.
Chapter 13- It’s All Political
• Most works contain a political element, as literature tends to be authored by people interested in the world’s issues.
• Political writing most often focuses on reality in the world, such as the rights and wrongs of those in power and common human problems in society.
• Programmatic political writing is a style that pushes a single cause, party position, or concern onto the reader.
• The reader must be aware of the social and political status of the time period the book is set in in order to understand what is in the background of the novel.
• Political issues that are commonly written about are power structures, class relations, individuality against a conformist society, justice and rights issues, and racial, sexist, and ethnic issues.
Chapter 14- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
• Using Christ figures deepens our sense of a character’s sacrifice and thematically involves redemption, hope, and miracles.
• If a Christ figure is used ironically, the character tends to appear as smaller rather than greater.
• Some characteristics of a Christ figure are self-sacrificing, in agony, very forgiving, redeemed the unworthy, was possibly tempted, and good with children.
Chapter 15- Flights of Fancy
• Symbolically, flying can represent escape, the return home, love, spirituality, freedom, or the flight of the imagination.
• An interrupted flight generally represents something bad.
Chapter 16- It’s All About Sex…
•
Chapter 17- …Except Sex
• Writers who mention sex are often writing about something different, such as rebellion, domination, submission, enlightenment, or sacrifice.
Chapter 18- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
• Baptism can be implied when a character is renamed.
• Traveling on water, rain, and sometimes water can be symbols of baptism.
• Baptism is the symbolic death and rebirth as a new person.
• Drowning on purpose can possibly represent a form of rebirth by choosing to leave one’s old life behind and entering a new one. If a character comes back up, they have been symbolically reborn.
Chapter 19- Geography Matters…
•
Chapter 20- …So Does Season
• The progression from spring to summer to fall to winter can represent the cycle from youth to adulthood to middle age to old age and death.
• Spring mainly represents fertility, life, happiness, growth and resurrection.
• Autumn represents reaping what we sow and both rewards and punishments.
• Winter represents punishment, death, hibernation, and a lack of growth.
Chapter 21- Marked for Greatness
• Physical imperfections that have been caused by social imperfections often reflect both the damage within the character and what is wrong with the culture that caused them such damage.
• Physical imperfections can symbolically mirror moral, emotional, or psychological scars within a character.
Chapter 22- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know
• Physical blindness in novels can commonly mirror moral, intellectual, or psychological blindness.
• Many stories use blindness as an irony, such as the blind can see more than the sighted, whether it be morally, emotionally, etc.
• Blindness can also be used metaphorically as a failure to see something such as reality, the truth, or love.
Chapter 23- It’s Never Just Heart Disease…
•
Chapter 24- …And Rarely Just Illness
• Not all illnesses appear in stories. Illnesses in stories usually must be picturesque, mysterious in origin, and contain strong metaphorical or symbolic qualities.
Chapter 25- Don’t Read With Your Eyes
• To be able to fully understand the book, you have to enter the book’s reality; don’t read from your fixed position.
• You need to find a reading perspective that can understand the story is not written along with your own personal, social, cultural, and historical background.
• We don’t have to carry the same beliefs and values as the author or the story itself to be able to understand it, recognize its worth, and immerse ourselves as deeply as another novel that does.
Chapter 26- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
• Irony doesn’t always work for the reader. It can be difficult to like and for some people, it is hard to recognize, which can cause multiple problems.
Chapter 27- A Test Case
•
• The Quest (adventure) contains: o The Quester- a person who goes on a journey o A destination o A reason to go there o Challenges and trials along the way
• Questers are usually younger characters that are still attempting to discover what they are looking for.
• The usual reason for a quest is self-knowledge.
• The terms ‘always’ and ‘never’ carry a lot of weight in literature because another author can disprove the statement and the author can possibly be discredited.
• Once a character is introduced, the reader should pay attention to the points of the Quest, which will show whether or not something will happen to them.
Chapter 2- Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion
• Communions are not always holy.
• Communion is seen as an …show more content…
act of peace and sharing.
• Characters are enabled to overcome an internal struggle or obstacle by communion.
• Communion can indicate how well/poorly characters get along with each other.
• Scenes depicting a communion often attempt a forced empathy from the reader to the character.
Chapter 3- Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
• The ‘vampire’ in a story doesn’t have to be literal; it can symbolize a character who attempts to remove the life, vitality, and/or spirit from another character.
• The protagonist tends to symbolize life and vitality.
• The author favors using the contrast between the protagonist and antagonist to show the conflict between good and evil.
• The portrayal of a ‘vampire’ in literature can be used in a literal sense to show a conflict between the pure and impure.
• Metaphorically, a single character, group, or society itself can be shown as vampires if they contain similar characteristics, such as impurity.
• The vampire character often represents a standard or idea that the author wants to appear distasteful.
Chapter 4- If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet
• Sonnets are the most recognizable forms of poetry, which have been common ever since the Renaissance.
• The poem’s shape matters, especially in sonnets, because it becomes a key in the overall meaning of the poem.
• It is best to read the poem entirely before attempting any analysis on its style.
• Sonnets are the most versatile, agreeable, and ubiquitous of any poems.
• The two types of sonnet are Pentrachan and Shakespearean.
• Different choices and images the author uses for their poem may possible show the work’s literary cleverness.
Chapter 5- Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
• There is no such thing as a completely original work of literature, as stories grow out of other stories.
• There will always be something that at least slightly resembles or references something else, despite whether or not the author meant to do it intentionally.
• There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated
• Intertexuality is recognizing what connects one story with another, which in turn brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be aware of.
• All literature builds on what has preceded it.
• Authors use allusions to other novels in their works to give the reader a deeper comprehension into the nature of a character, location, or event that just took place.
Chapter 6- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare…
• Writers use what is common in a culture as a kind of shorthand. Shakespeare is pervasive, so he is frequently echoed.
• Shakespeare’s works are so influential that we may not even realize that a quote, etc. belonged to him.
• Shakespeare’s influence is used by many authors throughout history because it has become a basis for literary concepts.
• All writers tend to “reinvent” their own Shakespeare by using similar plots and situations that appear in his works.
• Authors play off of Shakespeare simply because the world is so familiar with his works.
Chapter 7- …Or the Bible
• Before the mid-20th century, writers could count on people being very familiar with Biblical stories, a common literary piece a writer could tap.
• When the Bible is alluded to, it is expected that the reader will recognize it.
• “Archetypes” are patterns in both characters and situations.
• Allusions to the Bible aren’t always straightforward.
• The details may change in a biblical allusion, but the main ideas are similar.
Chapter 8- Hanseldee and Greteldum
• Most works today make references that pertain and are relevant to today’s culture, i.e. a reference that is common knowledge. The author wouldn’t make a reference the reader can’t understand.
• Most authors attempt not to use common references that appear in many other works.
• Commonly, writers use references from children’s literature, such as the Dr. Seuss books or nursery rhymes, to allow for a wider range of people who would understand the reference. Fairytales are also commonly used.
• Writers can also use entire storylines from fairytales, but attempt to “modernize” the story or put their own twists into it. However, the moral of the story and the main pot shouldn’t be changed.
• When you are reading, it is always a good idea to search for any familiar plot, characters, scenarios, etc.
Chapter 9- It’s Greek to Me
• Myth is a body of story that matters—the patterns present in mythology run deeply in the human psyche.
• Myths are used to explain events, people, behaviors, etc. and are the part of stories that really matter.
• Commonly, writers who publish classical works rely on some cultural or tribal myths to support the plot of their novels.
• Myths are often used to teach the reader a moral or a lesson that can be applied to our everyday lives and also show the many struggles we must endure through life.
• By using myths, writers can make their own works have a more comfortable feel to the reader.
Chapter 10- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
• In literature, every action, event, and description serves a purpose, even the weather. If it is snowing, there is a specific purpose the author added it for- not just because they felt like adding it.
• Weather can easily change the mood of the story or the mood of a character. The weather can also connect the reader to the story, as it is easier for the reader to identify with something that can occur in reality.
• The four primary purposes for rain are: o Plot devices- Weather can force characters into certain settings and circumstances, which then changes the plot and moves the story in a different direction. o Atmospherics- The rain creates imagery in the reader’s mind, which can range between peaceful and calm to eerie and dark. o Misery factor- The rain forces the character(s) into undesirable, and possibly dangerous, circumstances. o Democratic element- The weather in a novel affects everyone, not just a single character.
• Rain can be used symbolically as well. It can represent cleanliness, restoration, and life itself.
• Fog represents confusion and the snow can either represent fun and enjoyment or death.
Chapter 11- …More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
• Violence has a wide array of uses in literature.
It can be symbolic, thematic, biblical, Romantic, allegorical, Shakespearian, and also transcendent.
• Violence in literature also tends to make the reader question why, bringing into question moral and ethical views on the event.
• There are two categories of violence in literature. The first is violence that the character caused, such as shootings, stabbings, drownings, bombings, hit and runs, poisonings, etc. The second is death and suffering for which the characters aren’t responsible.
• Commonly in literature, the author attempts to make the reader feel a strong personal connection with either a character that dies or a character that kills someone else. This makes the reader become attached to the character and feel a stronger emotion when that character dies and causes a psychological dilemma in the reader.
• Accidents in literature are never truly accidents. The author always plans them in the storyline and usually serve a larger purpose.
• In fiction, violence often becomes a symbol, which carries a weight the reader can feel.
Chapter 12- Is That a
Symbol?
• Figuring out what symbols are and what they mean is tricky. One can only discuss possible meanings and interpretations.
• There isn’t a definite meaning of a symbol in literature unless it is an allegory.
• Actions, as well as objects and images, can be symbolic.
• An easier way to determine what symbols are and what they mean is to pay attention to how you feel about a text. Symbols are most commonly built on associations the reader has to actions, images, and objects, but also on emotional reactions of the reader.
• The more the reader exercises their symbolic imagination when reading, the better and faster it will work when reading.
Chapter 13- It’s All Political
• Most works contain a political element, as literature tends to be authored by people interested in the world’s issues.
• Political writing most often focuses on reality in the world, such as the rights and wrongs of those in power and common human problems in society.
• Programmatic political writing is a style that pushes a single cause, party position, or concern onto the reader.
• The reader must be aware of the social and political status of the time period the book is set in in order to understand what is in the background of the novel.
• Political issues that are commonly written about are power structures, class relations, individuality against a conformist society, justice and rights issues, and racial, sexist, and ethnic issues.
Chapter 14- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
• Using Christ figures deepens our sense of a character’s sacrifice and thematically involves redemption, hope, and miracles.
• If a Christ figure is used ironically, the character tends to appear as smaller rather than greater.
• Some characteristics of a Christ figure are self-sacrificing, in agony, very forgiving, redeemed the unworthy, was possibly tempted, and good with children.
Chapter 15- Flights of Fancy
• Symbolically, flying can represent escape, the return home, love, spirituality, freedom, or the flight of the imagination.
• An interrupted flight generally represents something bad.
Chapter 16- It’s All About Sex…
•
Chapter 17- …Except Sex
• Writers who mention sex are often writing about something different, such as rebellion, domination, submission, enlightenment, or sacrifice.
Chapter 18- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
• Baptism can be implied when a character is renamed.
• Traveling on water, rain, and sometimes water can be symbols of baptism.
• Baptism is the symbolic death and rebirth as a new person.
• Drowning on purpose can possibly represent a form of rebirth by choosing to leave one’s old life behind and entering a new one. If a character comes back up, they have been symbolically reborn.
Chapter 19- Geography Matters…
•
Chapter 20- …So Does Season
• The progression from spring to summer to fall to winter can represent the cycle from youth to adulthood to middle age to old age and death.
• Spring mainly represents fertility, life, happiness, growth and resurrection.
• Autumn represents reaping what we sow and both rewards and punishments.
• Winter represents punishment, death, hibernation, and a lack of growth.
Chapter 21- Marked for Greatness
• Physical imperfections that have been caused by social imperfections often reflect both the damage within the character and what is wrong with the culture that caused them such damage.
• Physical imperfections can symbolically mirror moral, emotional, or psychological scars within a character.
Chapter 22- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know
• Physical blindness in novels can commonly mirror moral, intellectual, or psychological blindness.
• Many stories use blindness as an irony, such as the blind can see more than the sighted, whether it be morally, emotionally, etc.
• Blindness can also be used metaphorically as a failure to see something such as reality, the truth, or love.
Chapter 23- It’s Never Just Heart Disease…
•
Chapter 24- …And Rarely Just Illness
• Not all illnesses appear in stories. Illnesses in stories usually must be picturesque, mysterious in origin, and contain strong metaphorical or symbolic qualities.
Chapter 25- Don’t Read With Your Eyes
• To be able to fully understand the book, you have to enter the book’s reality; don’t read from your fixed position.
• You need to find a reading perspective that can understand the story is not written along with your own personal, social, cultural, and historical background.
• We don’t have to carry the same beliefs and values as the author or the story itself to be able to understand it, recognize its worth, and immerse ourselves as deeply as another novel that does.
Chapter 26- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
• Irony doesn’t always work for the reader. It can be difficult to like and for some people, it is hard to recognize, which can cause multiple problems.
Chapter 27- A Test Case
•