Callihan, R. - Prompt 2

Throughout his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster draws on King Solomon’s early idea that, “There is nothing new under the sun” to develop his central claim that, “there’s no such thing as a wholly original work of literature” (24). Foster explains how all works of literature consist of the same basic elements and explore the concept of human life. More specifically, he discusses the similarities between characters, plot lines, settings and themes that appear in many stories of different genres, cross-culturally and throughout history. Pure originality within literature is nearly impossible because “all the stories have been told” and contemporary authors can only build on previous works to create a more interwoven story (Foster 195). Modern writers may employ a unique combination of characters and setting and symbols, but every story contains some elements of historical literature within the text because all “stories grow out of other stories” to create a constantly developing narrative for readers to analyze and immerse themselves in (Foster 28). Furthermore, the familiarity of literary repetition provides readers with a sense of comfort, once similar patterns and elements are recognized, that exemplifies the overall richness of the reading experience. This concept also allows readers to better understand different aspects within literature across different genres and time periods. As a reader encounters similar elements in different texts, they’ll be able to comprehend and relate to them more easily and their appreciation for the piece will increase. Personally, as I read different stories from different genres and time periods, my appreciation and understanding of literature, as a whole, increases as I have more insightful thoughts and interactions with the text. Moreover, artists and patrons have experienced a similar trend with artwork throughout history. Many thematic and symbolic elements within art, like religious figures, appear to convey different messages, but their origin remains the same, solidifying the concept of one big story.