Reading literature is affected by memory, symbol, and pattern. Thomas Foster is the author of "How To Read Literature Like A Professor", where he discusses that everything can be a symbol. Winter, for example, can represent death, emptiness and the feeling of being alone. This symbol is repeated in numerous literary texts, creating patterns that readers recognize when they are reading other texts. By memorizing these symbols, readers can detect their presence, allowing authors to use these patterns.
When reading complicated literature, being able to recognize these patters actually makes reading easier. Instead of having to describe in detail what a character is feeling, knowing what a symbol means can make reading simpler. In the book "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green, the main character Hazel gets a call in the middle of the night that her boyfriend Augustus has died. Night is a common symbol, in this case it represents death, illness and endings. If you knew this symbol while reading the book, though it is not complicated, you would be able to tell that when Hazel says that her phone rang in the middle of the night, that it means darkness and death. While I was reading this book, this helped me, because I was able to recognize the context and time of the phone call. It is part of a pattern in many works that has become so common that the audience should be able to, as with many symbols, detect simply. Symbols like this can help to not only make reading simpler, but add an awareness to detail within the text.
When reading complicated literature, being able to recognize these patters actually makes reading easier. Instead of having to describe in detail what a character is feeling, knowing what a symbol means can make reading simpler. In the book "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green, the main character Hazel gets a call in the middle of the night that her boyfriend Augustus has died. Night is a common symbol, in this case it represents death, illness and endings. If you knew this symbol while reading the book, though it is not complicated, you would be able to tell that when Hazel says that her phone rang in the middle of the night, that it means darkness and death. While I was reading this book, this helped me, because I was able to recognize the context and time of the phone call. It is part of a pattern in many works that has become so common that the audience should be able to, as with many symbols, detect simply. Symbols like this can help to not only make reading simpler, but add an awareness to detail within the text.