Why study literature? Why read fiction? Why spend one’s life teaching it? What’s the point? Because literature has something significant to impart. Gain some insight here...
People have been telling stories since the dawn of time. But, storytelling has never been just about entertainment. Why are books written, then, if not for readers’ gratification?
The first thing we notice about books is the plot. But just like a birthday cake and its icing, there’s more to a novel than its surface narrative. It’s the layers beneath the compelling plot that give a novel substance.
A novel’s symbolic language carries a message beyond simply what happens in the plot. But like luggage, it has to be unpacked. So, here are a few forms to be on the look-out for the next time you pick up a book.