John J. Botta

Surviving the Journey: a Universal Approach for the Student Critic John J. Botta

Surviving the Journey is more than a book. It is a process designed to enhance the art of reading the classics. Professor Botta takes his readers on a journey through literature that mirrors the human journey through life. This book is a road map to understanding the wisdom of the past, connecting literary adventures with modern human problems. The knowledge of great writers like Homer, Shakespeare, Melville, Hawthorne, and Hemingway trapped between the pages of books is unleashed, launching the reader into another dimension. The rewards are permanent. The concepts presented are based upon an approach to literature known as Archetypal Criticism, emphasizing the patterns of timeless human experiences that recur in literary works spanning centuries. The Ordeal of life for human beings, real or fictional, is consistent - we are born, we live, and we die. Literarycharacters face the same human dilemmas as they focus on the goals that ultimately transform them into heroic figures. Literature reflects life. Readers will take pride in the identification of human patterns or models authors use to teach the lessons of time. Understanding the struggles of literary protagonists unlocks the portal to the wisdom of the ages. Surviving the Journey is the key.