How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Think about what the setting might reveal.

   Setting includes physical location and temporal location.
   
   For a short work, the entire story may take place in a single room, but a larger work will likely have a slightly larger scope.
   
   Similarly, a piece of literature may take place during a single day or week, or it could extend for generations.
   
   The setting will carry various implications.
   
   For instance, the U.S.
   
   South in the 1950s will be more racially tense than a story taking place in New York City during the 1990s.
2. 2

   Step 2: Meet the characters.

   The protagonists and antagonists are the most important characters to know, but even minor supporting characters can be a catalyst for plot or may reveal important details about the actions of the main character.
   
   Know the relationships between characters as well as the character names, since names are occasionally symbolic in themselves. , In a basic sense, point of view refers to first person and third person.
   
   First person refers to literature that has a narrator who describes things from his or her perspective, but this narrator may or may not be the main character.
   
   Third person can be omniscient, in which all the details of the story are accessible, or it can be limited, in cases where only one or two characters are followed while the others’ actions and thoughts remain a mystery. , A conflict can occur between two characters, between a character and a society, and between a character and nature.
   
   Also identify how that conflict was resolves and if there were other ways to solve it.
   
   If there were other ways, speculate on how a different course of action could have changed things.
3. 3

   Step 3: Identify the story’s point of view.

4. 4

   Step 4: Know who the conflict is against.

Detailed Guide

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