Callihan, R. - Prompt 4

In his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster emphasizes the importance of an imaginative relationship between the reader and writer. On the surface, it appears the writer is in control of the reading experience, manipulating the audience’s thoughts and reactions to the plot with different character traits and thematic elements; however, in reality, the reader, and the reader’s imagination, dictate the direction of the story and the general message behind the text. The symbiotic connection between an author and the audience is one of constant, mutualistic give and take that is crucial to the development of the piece and the reader’s interpretation of the overall meaning and storyline. A writer creates a basic outline with a basic structure and basic literary elements for the reader to fill with his/her unique thoughts and ideas that are original and untainted. Therefore, a reader’s distinct imagination, that is a result of individual life experiences and encounters, is critical to the evolution and success of an author’s novel or poem or song or literary guide. Reader’s use their imagination to envision the outcome and purpose of a piece of text, then use that prototype to learn and apply to everyday situations. The writing process is a combination of readers and writers and their imaginations and personal experiences. Authors provide readers with basic symbols and patterns to guide their journey that consists of “individual history” and a “mix of previous readings” that allows the audience to “emphasize various elements [of the story] to differing degrees” to create a distinct, unrepeatable storyline unique and meaningful only to that specific reader (Foster 110). Literature is open-ended, especially when it comes to the collaboration between the two most important features of a story: the reader and writer. The process allows readers to imagine and produce a personal message behind the text and provides those individuals with an opportunity to analyze their meaning and grow.