Analysis Of Every Trip Is A Quest By John Foster

Chapter One: “Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)” Chapter one of How to Read Literature like a Professor describes the day to day encounters of a young boy. Foster explains that though the story is just a simple plot line detailing a common part of teenage life, it should be viewed as a quest, rather than just a normal teenage story. Through this example, Foster highlights key components of a quest, and it is demonstrated that a quest-style plot can be found in a large variety of writing styles, genres and literature. Foster also emphasizes that self discovery is key to a quest. One may connect this theme to The Natural, where the protagonist, Roy Hobbs, stumbles through his baseball career. Throughout the story, Roy becomes established as a “hero” in that he brings great success to a previously unsuccessful and defeated team. Throughout the course of the novel, Roy also goes through many obstacles including the loss of Sam, a surprise pregnancy, the loss of his skill, and finally, defeat.
Chapter Two: “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion” In chapter two, the importance of a simple meal is discussed. Foster explains that every time characters eat together, it is a symbol of “communion” or creating a community. Meals can reveal many things about characters, including their relationships with others and their personal …show more content…
This reference is for purposes of emphasizing important of certain topics, revealing character traits, and highlighting major connected themes. The Old Man and the Sea is a perfect example of Biblical allusion in a novel. Throughout the plot, evidence of Santiago as a Christ figure are extremely prevalent. For example, at one point, Santiago notices painful wounds in his hands, symbolizing the stigmata of Christ. He also is presented with the struggle of holding the mast on his boat, symbolizing the