Symbolism In How To Read Like A Professor

techniques in How to Read Like a Professor
‘How to Read Like a Professor’ is a book that discusses several broad yet detailed techniques of reading. While I am positive everyone who reads this book knows how to read, they may not know how to read to fully comprehend all of a volume, even that which is not on the page. One such technique that really helps to reveal much about a story is symbolism, or the use of something to represent something else usually not in the story. Symbolism is important to know how to recognize because it can easily change a significant amount of a story. Some things are so closely associated with forces of nature that descriptions of the environment often infer undertones and meaning. Rain for instance is special
and notable when mentioned because rain usually is a cleanser/purifier, or a coming of new. But rain can also mean mystery and foreboding, unification and misery. Seasons can be used to show emotion or to indicate something, such as the start of something new or a bitter word. They can also be symbolic in a way that the author may not be referring to the season but traits related to that season. Seasons or well recognized features of those seasons can be used in names or descriptions to kind of convey things that are not always written down. A good example of this would be Simon and Garfunkel’s cover called “A Hazy Shade of Winter”, being as it is rather dark and gloomy, and described as unhappy. Seasons are also very symbolic in literature, and usually have traits associated with them. Spring has a meaning of youth and childhood; autumn with middle age, decline, tiredness, as well as harvest; winter with resentment and death and old age; and summer with romance, passion and fulfillment, and romance. When mentioned in the description of the setting of a story, seasons usually imply some part of their meaning to the story. Besides seasons, there are other aspects of symbolism mentioned.
One mentioned important and religious symbolism is being immersed in water. Rather it be in a river, a bathtub, a pond, a sewage reservoir, or even a baptism chamber, being immersed in water usually has the purpose of symbolizing a change in a character. This is obviously based off the Christian belief of baptism, but beyond baptism in that sometimes that person becomes a new person. Another rather vulgar use of symbolism is sex. Usually sex is censored, so authors find other means to implement it into their novels. A common way of achieving this is through eating, in which when an author has a scene that the characters are eating, it usually means they are having sex. This of course is not always the case, also there is usually the mention of phallic objects or other symbols. But something to be noted is that when its actually sex, there usually is something else that is going on or representing. It should be understood that symbolism can have meaning outside the story. The author could be relating to him or herself, which means that symbolism could mean anything to the author. But, that means it can be hard understand, as you don’t have the same experience as the author but there will probably be something in the passage that hints to the authors meaning, queuing you to understand the
symbolism.
A vastly important question in a story is where. Every author has to ask his or herself, where do I want this to be located? A simple question with a simple answer, but that answer can reveal a lot about a novels story. Geography can be used to develop a character in a story allowing the author to let the reader maker their own inferences and come to their own conclusions. For instance, if the writer describes a character as, “John was a simple man from the fields out west, raised cattle all his life until he meets Susie. Upon meeting the love of his life he picked up and moved south.” The reader can understand that “fields” is meant to represent that he grew up in the country life on a farm. Since they are moving south, it means that they are going to be wild and embrace freedom. Geography can also symbolize climate, or weather. Swamps could symbolize a hot humid environment that is mostly out to get you. A desert could mean a land filled with little of anything. Mountains could bring about thoughts of cold weather, as well as rain and trees with many animals. these little things can vastly increase your picture of the story, making it more enjoyable and easier to understand.
In “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” symbolism is an important strategy mentioned throughout the entire book. Mentions of geography or weather can vastly improve your knowledge of a character, as well as let you in on what is going on behind the page and can even foreshadow events yet to come. A simple thing such as a scene in which the two characters are eating could mean so much more than its face value. That is why symbolism is very important in literature.