Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Things You’ll Need:
- Any novel
- Pen and paper
- Highlighter
- Sticky notes
Step1
Locate the hero of the novel first. There is always a hero of some sort and that hero is usually the main character.
Step2
Search for the journey (also commonly called the quest). Whether you are reading the Bible or a horror story, there will be a journey to somewhere. The journey can be to a physical place or it can happen in the hero’s mind. Think Wizard of Oz or Star Wars.
Step3
Keep an eye out for the familiar. These are called allusions and simply mean that the author is directly or indirectly referring to a past novel, poem or text. Allusions make the reader feel at home and connected with the text because they are reading something that is vaguely familiar to them.
Step4
Watch for patterns. Are clocks mentioned over and over again? Do you notice that the author keeps bringing in a certain color? These patterns have a meaning and it is your job to decide what they might mean. Everything almost always means something. Darkness, the weather, the seasons, colors and objects symbolize different elements of emotion.
Step5
Consider the time, place and political climate that the author wrote the novel. The patterns, symbols and allusions can take on entirely new meanings when placed within the context of the author’s time period.
Ernest von Rosen, www.amgmedia.com