Compare and Contrast how to Read Literature Like a Professor and the Great Gatsby

When delving into American literature, few novels command the respect and analysis afforded to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” a quintessential exploration of the American Dream and its discontents. Similarly, Thomas C. Foster’s “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” offers a broad toolkit for unpacking the layers of meaning that enrich not just Fitzgerald’s work but any literary text. Comparing these two works offers fascinating insights into how literary analysis can enhance our understanding of literature’s power to mirror and critique society.

Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is a precise and eloquent narrative set in the Roaring Twenties, a period of dramatic social and economic change. The novel’s protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is emblematic of the fierce longing and ultimate disillusionment that often accompanied the American Dream. His tragic pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, set against a backdrop of opulence and decadence, critiques the illusion of a self-made man and exposes the corruption that often underpins the American elite’s wealth.

In contrast, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” isn’t a narrative but rather a guide that equips readers with the skills to unearth the deeper significance of literary works. Foster’s approach is pedagogical and analytical, aiming to make the reader more aware of the elements that authors use to enrich their stories. Through a series of chapters that each focus on a different literary device or pattern, Foster teaches readers to look beyond the surface of the text to the symbolic, thematic, and cultural layers beneath.

A direct comparison of these two books highlights their different purposes but also shows how one can serve as a lens through which to view the other. For instance, Foster emphasizes the importance of symbolism in literature—such as weather serving as more than just atmospheric background. In “The Great Gatsby,” Fitzgerald uses weather symbolically: the climactic confrontation between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan occurs on the hottest day of the summer, mirroring the tension and the boiling over of pent-up emotions.

Foster also sheds light on the significance of geography in literature, illustrating how locations go beyond mere settings to represent themes and character trajectories. This concept is vividly realized in “The Great Gatsby,” where the physical division between East Egg and West Egg represents the social divide between the established aristocracy and the nouveau riche, respectively. Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg symbolizes his ostentatious attempt to break into the rigid, socially stratified world of old money—a critical examination of social mobility and the American class system.

Moreover, Foster’s insights into the ‘quest’ motif in literature can be applied to Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of Daisy. This quest, however, is less about the actual achievement of his goal and more about the journey and everything it symbolizes about Gatsby’s identity and the American society of his time. Foster would likely point out that Gatsby’s journey is indicative of a deeper, more existential quest than the pursuit of a romantic interest; it’s a quest for meaning, identity, and recognition within a superficial society.

In conclusion, while “The Great Gatsby” and “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” serve very different literary functions—one as a novel and the other as a guide to literary analysis—they complement each other in deepening our understanding of how literature reflects, critiques, and influences society. Fitzgerald’s novel, through its rich symbolism and complex character dynamics, exemplifies the very concepts that Foster outlines in his analytical guide. Reading these two works in tandem not only enhances our appreciation of Fitzgerald’s craft but also enriches our capacity to discern the subtleties and significances woven into the fabric of all great literature.

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