Thomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” goes in to detail about different types of character. Foster first explains that, “characters are not people” (Foster 80), but, ‘they are representations, in greater or lesser detail, of human beings” (Foster 85). What the author means is that characters are not real people because they can do actions of people but only when the author writes that they do that action and that is still only on the page not in real life. Characters do not have emotions because it is the author expressing emotions through them that creates the illusion that characters feel like real people. The author puts in perspective that, “we are all, each and every last one of us, the protagonist of our own story” (Foster 85), which makes it seem like, ‘other people may not be as complete as ourselves, but that doesn’t alter the other person’s reality” (Foster 85), which can not be said about characters. In life all people have their story and everyone’s is equally important to themselves but in literature character’s importance varies. The reader is going to know more about the protagonist because that character is important and well developed while the guard who has is in one scene will not have as much of a back story. The difference between the two is that the protagonist is a, “round character” (Foster 84), and is, “full of traits and strengths and weaknesses and contradictions, capable of change and growth” (Foster 84) which makes the guard a, “flat character” (Foster 84), which, “lacks full development” (Foster 84). Flat and round characters are necessary for a story because flat characters help move the plot along so the round character can reach their destination. Now they are not only completely round and completely flat characters because some characters need some development in an area for the story to go on but still are not completely round. Foster explains how characters are not people by discussing different characters and their involvement in literature.
Thomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” goes in to detail about different types of character. Foster first explains that, “characters are not people,” but, ‘they are representations, in greater or lesser detail, of human beings” (Foster 80, 85). What the author means is that characters are not real people because they can do actions of people but only when the author writes that they do that action and that is still only on the page not in real life. Characters do not have emotions because it is the author expressing emotions through them that creates the illusion that characters feel like real people. The author puts in perspective that, “we are all, each and every last one of us, the protagonist of our own story,” which makes it seem like, ‘other people may not be as complete as ourselves, but that doesn’t alter the other person’s reality,” which can not be said about characters (Foster 85). In life all people have their story and everyone’s is equally important to themselves but in literature character’s importance varies. The reader is going to know more about the protagonist because that character is important and well developed while the guard who has is in one scene will not have as much of a back story. The difference between the two is that the protagonist is a, “round character,” and is, “full of traits and strengths and weaknesses and contradictions, capable of change and growth,” which makes the guard a, “flat character,” which, “lacks full development” (Foster 84). Flat and round characters are necessary for a story because flat characters help move the plot along so the round character can reach their destination. Now they are not only completely round and completely flat characters because some characters need some development in an area for the story to go on but still are not completely round. Foster explains how characters are not people by discussing different characters and their involvement in literature.
In “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” Thomas Foster elaborates on the differences between literary characters and real-world people. Although we feel for them and treat them as though they were, Foster clearly indicates that “characters are not people” (Foster 80). Characters never leave the words of a story; they are confined to their respective works and cannot exist. While characters may represent, act like, or show qualities of real people, they are still only tools to be used at the writer’s disposal to enhance or provide interest within a story. Foster explains that we can’t help but care for these characters, even though they aren’t real and we don’t necessarily need to, due to the fact that they are “products of writers’ imaginations – and readers’ imaginations” (Foster 81). Writers create the certain characters with their personalities and motives in mind, seeing a character how they want, and readers interpret the characters how they want or see them as well. Often times people find themselves attached to characters that they can relate to, or perhaps they want to see the underdog, or even the villain succeed at times. Lastly, Foster points out that in “real life, everyone is a fully rounded character,” while in literature there are characters who feel more “flat” (Foster 85, 87). Humans see all different sides of one another, the good and bad, ups and downs; we’re round, we have many angles to be experienced. Characters in literature can often be more on the flat end of the spectrum, as we sometimes only see one side of a character. While characters are not people, it’s okay that people care about them nonetheless, as they often can resemble people in their lives or even parts of their own personalities.
Thomas C. Foster, in "How to Read Literature Like a Professor", describes how no one cares if something in literature is unfair because literature is not about our logic. He says "characters are not people" (Foster 80). Foster explains that characters being read about will never be met. The character may be based off someone the writer knows but "if it's not in the text, it doesn't exist" (Foster 81). Foster states "the characters are purely textual creations, constructs of words" (Foster 81). He wants readers to understand that those characters were never real and never will be. They simply came from an author’s brain. He says that "characters are products of writers' imaginations- and readers' imaginations" (Foster 81). Foster is explaining that the writer creates the characters through past relations and the reader "fills in the blank spaces" (Foster 82). Characters are only a portrayal of real people, and are "made out of words" (Foster 85). He gives multiple explanations of how these characters are not real and are just something the reader believes in.
Thomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” goes in to detail about different types of character. Foster first explains that, “characters are not people” (Foster 80), but, ‘they are representations, in greater or lesser detail, of human beings” (Foster 85). What the author means is that characters are not real people because they can do actions of people but only when the author writes that they do that action and that is still only on the page not in real life. Characters do not have emotions because it is the author expressing emotions through them that creates the illusion that characters feel like real people. The author puts in perspective that, “we are all, each and every last one of us, the protagonist of our own story” (Foster 85), which makes it seem like, ‘other people may not be as complete as ourselves, but that doesn’t alter the other person’s reality” (Foster 85), which can not be said about characters. In life all people have their story and everyone’s is equally important to themselves but in literature character’s importance varies. The reader is going to know more about the protagonist because that character is important and well developed while the guard who has is in one scene will not have as much of a back story. The difference between the two is that the protagonist is a, “round character” (Foster 84), and is, “full of traits and strengths and weaknesses and contradictions, capable of change and growth” (Foster 84) which makes the guard a, “flat character” (Foster 84), which, “lacks full development” (Foster 84). Flat and round characters are necessary for a story because flat characters help move the plot along so the round character can reach their destination. Now they are not only completely round and completely flat characters because some characters need some development in an area for the story to go on but still are not completely round. Foster explains how characters are not people by discussing different characters and their involvement in literature.
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DeleteThomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” goes in to detail about different types of character. Foster first explains that, “characters are not people,” but, ‘they are representations, in greater or lesser detail, of human beings” (Foster 80, 85). What the author means is that characters are not real people because they can do actions of people but only when the author writes that they do that action and that is still only on the page not in real life. Characters do not have emotions because it is the author expressing emotions through them that creates the illusion that characters feel like real people. The author puts in perspective that, “we are all, each and every last one of us, the protagonist of our own story,” which makes it seem like, ‘other people may not be as complete as ourselves, but that doesn’t alter the other person’s reality,” which can not be said about characters (Foster 85). In life all people have their story and everyone’s is equally important to themselves but in literature character’s importance varies. The reader is going to know more about the protagonist because that character is important and well developed while the guard who has is in one scene will not have as much of a back story. The difference between the two is that the protagonist is a, “round character,” and is, “full of traits and strengths and weaknesses and contradictions, capable of change and growth,” which makes the guard a, “flat character,” which, “lacks full development” (Foster 84). Flat and round characters are necessary for a story because flat characters help move the plot along so the round character can reach their destination. Now they are not only completely round and completely flat characters because some characters need some development in an area for the story to go on but still are not completely round. Foster explains how characters are not people by discussing different characters and their involvement in literature.
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DeleteIn “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” Thomas Foster elaborates on the differences between literary characters and real-world people. Although we feel for them and treat them as though they were, Foster clearly indicates that “characters are not people” (Foster 80). Characters never leave the words of a story; they are confined to their respective works and cannot exist. While characters may represent, act like, or show qualities of real people, they are still only tools to be used at the writer’s disposal to enhance or provide interest within a story. Foster explains that we can’t help but care for these characters, even though they aren’t real and we don’t necessarily need to, due to the fact that they are “products of writers’ imaginations – and readers’ imaginations” (Foster 81). Writers create the certain characters with their personalities and motives in mind, seeing a character how they want, and readers interpret the characters how they want or see them as well. Often times people find themselves attached to characters that they can relate to, or perhaps they want to see the underdog, or even the villain succeed at times. Lastly, Foster points out that in “real life, everyone is a fully rounded character,” while in literature there are characters who feel more “flat” (Foster 85, 87). Humans see all different sides of one another, the good and bad, ups and downs; we’re round, we have many angles to be experienced. Characters in literature can often be more on the flat end of the spectrum, as we sometimes only see one side of a character. While characters are not people, it’s okay that people care about them nonetheless, as they often can resemble people in their lives or even parts of their own personalities.
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DeleteThomas C. Foster, in "How to Read Literature Like a Professor", describes how no one cares if something in literature is unfair because literature is not about our logic. He says "characters are not people" (Foster 80). Foster explains that characters being read about will never be met. The character may be based off someone the writer knows but "if it's not in the text, it doesn't exist" (Foster 81). Foster states "the characters are purely textual creations, constructs of words" (Foster 81). He wants readers to understand that those characters were never real and never will be. They simply came from an author’s brain. He says that "characters are products of writers' imaginations- and readers' imaginations" (Foster 81). Foster is explaining that the writer creates the characters through past relations and the reader "fills in the blank spaces" (Foster 82). Characters are only a portrayal of real people, and are "made out of words" (Foster 85). He gives multiple explanations of how these characters are not real and are just something the reader believes in.
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