Foster’s chapter in How to Read
Literature Like a Professor titled “Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?” talks
about a similar experience many teenagers experience. For example, the celebrity,
let’s say Miley Cyrus, will wear the latest in fashion and others will follow
suit. Foster’s point was to tell us that there isn’t just one piece of
literature that every other piece of literature stemmed from, however; there is
only one story. In other words, Miley wears a cool outfit unattainable to the
average person, but her followers go and buy look-a-like outfits. Thus,
repeating the trend, but in different ways they can afford. I know connecting
literature to Miley Cyrus’ clothing probably isn’t the most appropriate
analogy, but that’s the kind of connection Foster wants us to make in novels,
plays, poems, etc.
In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, dystopian
literature became more popular and authors started writing about societies that
seem undesirable. Many of these books stemmed from the tragedy of WWII, thus
following the same trend of trying to explain how the Holocaust could have
happened. For example, Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury and 1984 written
by George Orwell both represent books that act as catalysts for this genre. It’s
also surprising that both main characters lead useless lives until a girl
appears in the plot that changes their lives and the storyline. The outcomes of
each book are different and pave the way for different interpretations, even
intertextuality, for future works.
If you take
two polar opposite movies and put them side by side they ultimately have the
same exact plot. For example, Mean Girls and The Social Network. Two seemingly
different movies, however, the plot essentially goes like this: A loner rises
to the top of the social hierarchy making enemies along the way. This is
simplified but if you were to explain them in one sentence that is the
fundamental plot. Same with The Road and Taken, Harry Potter and Star Wars,
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Cast Away, etc. Further proof that subconsciously people take ideas from
past readings and store them away for use in the future.
Authors, screenwriters, poets, etc.
don’t mean to do this. I believe that the story becomes ingrained into us at
the very beginning, starting with story books for when we were little. After all, story telling is a cultural
phenomenon that has been passed down since archaic ages. It would be impossible
to not re-create the stories that people have been telling since our society could
paint onto the walls of caves. This conversation between books is endless and
will continue to be endless until the next Stephanie Meyers can think of
something just as brilliant as vampires (kidding) that will take hold of our
society. Although I am making fun of the vampire era that is common amongst
pre-teens, it still shaped our literature (and will continue to, unfortunately)
until someone else can start a different trend that grabs our world by storm.
She doesn't even go here...
