The Eyes Are Just Gateways (Chapter 25)

              The first time I saw the title of chapter twenty-five I thought it was just going to be another lesson on reading between the lines or interpreting the symbols in the text. I was pleasantly surprised when the author took a completely different direction. Instead of abstract interpretations of the example text that I would be trying hopelessly to understand, the author engaged me with sensible ways to approach text so that the reader can actually live in the world of the story. Why is this important? According to Thomas C. Foster, "It seems to me that if we want to get the most out of our reading, as far as is reasonable, we have to try to take the works as they were intended to be taken." I completely agree with you Tom. As a playwright I have learned it is crucial for the reader (actress) to dive into the world you have created. It is impossible to truthfully become Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar if you think about the word ambitious in the contemporary meaning. Ambition is praised these days, but in Rome 44 B.C. it was a reason to be stabbed by a group of men that you consider to be your friends. This very specific example just    goes to show how one simple word can change the entire meaning of a story.