Prompt Two: "One Big Story" in Literature and Art


    Thomas Foster emphasizes the precept that there is only one true story in order to solidify the connection between texts. Anything thought of was thought of before. Literature, as described by Foster, is a series of common patterns and symbols which allows a seasoned reader to engage with the text. Each section of the book is dedicated to a different pattern or idea found in the “one big story.” Foster directly addresses this when writing, “The work actually acquires depth and resonance from the echoes and chimes it sets up with prior texts, weight from the accumulated use of certain basic patterns and tendencies. Moreover, works are actually more comforting because we recognize elements in them from our prior reading” (Foster 187). Readers, professors or otherwise, find accomplishment in finding the threads that attach texts to each other. It is human nature to analyze for patterns.

For example, in the Cubism movement, artists incorporate common geometric shapes and planes in order to depict landscapes and portraits. Pablo Picasso relies on the viewer’s knowledge of the human face and common visual concepts such as musical instruments and landscapes. Emphasizing the importance of the “one big story”, Impressionism relies on the viewers past knowledge to compose the complete picture. From up close, Impressionist paintings are composed of many small, visible strokes depicting a blurred effect, but from afar, the piece comes together and clearly illustrates the artist’s perspective. Pattern recognition is crucial in all forms of art from literature to paintings.  For the audience to understand, they must have knowledge from the larger story.

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