How to Read Literature Like a Professor Prompt #5

            In How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas Foster points out many important patterns that may show up when reading a text. One of the most important patterns that have major implications for the rest of the text is weather. Weather in a text is mainly used to aid the setting but also can imply other major points that the author does not want to overtly state. Dark weather such as fog can have sad, dangerous and mysterious implications, while rain can mean the restoration and rebirth of spring time.       

Overall what I have gathered from my readings of the book is that in a text take nothing at its face value. There is always an underlying meaning that the author has explicitly put in to signify an important element. I can especially see this in the chapter about weather because after reading I can clearly see that weather always means something else. When deciding the weather in a scene you are also affecting the setting, mood and actions of the characters.  The novel The Great Gatsby is a prime example of a famous piece of literature that has been greatly influenced by the weather in the tale. When Daisy is invited to have tea at Nick’s house and the setting of the ensuing day is a rainy drizzle which represents Gatsby’s feelings of nervousness and excitement of finally being able to lay his eyes on the only love of his life. Also, it happens to be on the hottest day of the year when tensions boil over into the major confrontation of the novel between Tom and Gatsby.