Thomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” discusses how authors write political writing and why it is important to find the political meaning. Foster explains that political writing is, “writing that engages the realities of its world-that thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that address the rights of persons and the wrings of those in power-can be not only interesting but hugely compelling” (Foster 117). This type of political writing is when the writer has created a wonderful story that even if the political part if not realized by the reader, they still find they story interesting. Uncovering the political meaning hidden in the text is like the cherry on top and provides the story with an even greater meaning. There is also the political writing where they are, “pushing a single cause or concern or party position, or it’s tied into a highly topical situation that doesn’t transfer out of its own specific time and place” (Foster 117). Writing where writers are so passionate about their certain political issue that that is what the entire story is about may be popular in that age, but does not last beyond that time. Also the story does not have an interesting story in which the politics is hidden in so even in that age it may not be that popular. Foster adds in that he thinks, “that most works must engage with their own specific period in ways that can be called political,” because, “writers tend to be … interested in the world around them,” and, “that world contains many things, and on the level of society, part of what it contains is the political reality of the time” (Foster 122). A reader must evaluate the politics in a work of literature because strong political themes can be hidden in what seems a story dealing with anything but politics. All works involve politics in someway or another but is could be so small that it does not necessarily have a deeper meaning. A reader needs to evaluate whether there are politics in a work of literature to determine if there is a deeper meaning present and what it is.
In “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” Thomas Foster explains political works, and their effectiveness or lack thereof. Thomas has two different opinions on political writing; on one hand, Thomas “hates ‘political’ writing,” primarily works “whose primary intent is to influence the body politic” or works that are “programmatic, pushing a single cause or concern or party position” (Foster 116). These types of political works simply exist to push political ideals of a certain group of whatever the author is affiliated with. They’re outcries for the general public to follow or adhere to a certain principle, and they’re often in the form of various fictitious literature as to subtly get messages across to the public without outright asking them. On the other hand, Foster “loves ‘political’ writing. Writing that engages the realities of its world – that thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that addresses the rights of persons and the wrongs of those in power – can not only interesting but hugely compelling” (Foster 117). Rather than trying to subtly urge people to join a cause, these certain kinds of “political” works encourage people to think about the world around them, and the solutions to its problems. They address problems respectably, not in the manner that the themed “novels, plays, and poems” do (Foster 116). Foster states that “knowing a little something about the social and political milieu out of which a writer creates can only help us understand her work, not because that milieu controls her thinking but because that is the world she engages when she sits down to write” (Foster 123). It’s important to recognize the social and political issues behind an author’s work as it helps readers understand more of the ideas that the author is trying to get a cross. All works are political in their own ways, big or small, so it’s critical that readers can recognize these political themes across various literature. Understanding the political aspect within certain works can help readers understand more of what the author is trying to imply, and also causes them to think more critically on the world around them.
Thomas C. Foster in "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" explains how most writing is political. Foster said that he hates "'political' writing" and that he speaks "here of literature whose primary intent is to influence the body politic" (116). Foster claims that he does not like writing that is all about politics. He basically says that they are boring. Instead, he likes the political writing that "thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that addresses the right of persons and the wrongs of those in power" (Foster 117). Foster believes that incorporating these aspects creates an "interesting" and "compelling" read (Foster 117). The politics recognized in writing allows the reader to better understand the author's reason for writing the story. Foster states that "knowing a little something about the social and political milieu out of which a writer creates can only help us understand" (Foster 123). A reader noticing political references allows for a better comprehension of the work.
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ReplyDeleteThomas C. Foster in, “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” discusses how authors write political writing and why it is important to find the political meaning. Foster explains that political writing is, “writing that engages the realities of its world-that thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that address the rights of persons and the wrings of those in power-can be not only interesting but hugely compelling” (Foster 117). This type of political writing is when the writer has created a wonderful story that even if the political part if not realized by the reader, they still find they story interesting. Uncovering the political meaning hidden in the text is like the cherry on top and provides the story with an even greater meaning. There is also the political writing where they are, “pushing a single cause or concern or party position, or it’s tied into a highly topical situation that doesn’t transfer out of its own specific time and place” (Foster 117). Writing where writers are so passionate about their certain political issue that that is what the entire story is about may be popular in that age, but does not last beyond that time. Also the story does not have an interesting story in which the politics is hidden in so even in that age it may not be that popular. Foster adds in that he thinks, “that most works must engage with their own specific period in ways that can be called political,” because, “writers tend to be … interested in the world around them,” and, “that world contains many things, and on the level of society, part of what it contains is the political reality of the time” (Foster 122). A reader must evaluate the politics in a work of literature because strong political themes can be hidden in what seems a story dealing with anything but politics. All works involve politics in someway or another but is could be so small that it does not necessarily have a deeper meaning. A reader needs to evaluate whether there are politics in a work of literature to determine if there is a deeper meaning present and what it is.
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ReplyDeleteIn “How to Read Literature like a Professor,” Thomas Foster explains political works, and their effectiveness or lack thereof. Thomas has two different opinions on political writing; on one hand, Thomas “hates ‘political’ writing,” primarily works “whose primary intent is to influence the body politic” or works that are “programmatic, pushing a single cause or concern or party position” (Foster 116). These types of political works simply exist to push political ideals of a certain group of whatever the author is affiliated with. They’re outcries for the general public to follow or adhere to a certain principle, and they’re often in the form of various fictitious literature as to subtly get messages across to the public without outright asking them. On the other hand, Foster “loves ‘political’ writing. Writing that engages the realities of its world – that thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that addresses the rights of persons and the wrongs of those in power – can not only interesting but hugely compelling” (Foster 117). Rather than trying to subtly urge people to join a cause, these certain kinds of “political” works encourage people to think about the world around them, and the solutions to its problems. They address problems respectably, not in the manner that the themed “novels, plays, and poems” do (Foster 116). Foster states that “knowing a little something about the social and political milieu out of which a writer creates can only help us understand her work, not because that milieu controls her thinking but because that is the world she engages when she sits down to write” (Foster 123). It’s important to recognize the social and political issues behind an author’s work as it helps readers understand more of the ideas that the author is trying to get a cross. All works are political in their own ways, big or small, so it’s critical that readers can recognize these political themes across various literature. Understanding the political aspect within certain works can help readers understand more of what the author is trying to imply, and also causes them to think more critically on the world around them.
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DeleteThomas C. Foster in "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" explains how most writing is political. Foster said that he hates "'political' writing" and that he speaks "here of literature whose primary intent is to influence the body politic" (116). Foster claims that he does not like writing that is all about politics. He basically says that they are boring. Instead, he likes the political writing that "thinks about human problems, including those in the social and political realm, that addresses the right of persons and the wrongs of those in power" (Foster 117). Foster believes that incorporating these aspects creates an "interesting" and "compelling" read (Foster 117). The politics recognized in writing allows the reader to better understand the author's reason for writing the story. Foster states that "knowing a little something about the social and political milieu out of which a writer creates can only help us understand" (Foster 123). A reader noticing political references allows for a better comprehension of the work.
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