1. Johnston
Eng 12CP
DUE: ________
Cornell Notes Focus Questions
“One Story” Chapter
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster
Instructions: Your Cornell notes should ultimately address the following questions and concepts articulated below.
That said, you are not just merely sticking to this information alone and your notes should NOT merely be a list of
these questions with answers. You are to use your notes on the entire chapter to address the main idea points
presented here.
1. What is the one story theory? Explain in depth.
2. Why do writers keeptelling the same story over and over? Why do readers keepreading
stories if it is merely the same story over and over?
3. Define, offer examples, and explain intertextuality in terms of the theory of one story.
4. Define archetypes and explain their roles & functions in the theory of one story.
KEY VOCABULARY: One Story Theory, intertextuality, parody archetypes
FOCUS CORRECTIONAL AREAS
________/ 30 Total Points
MRS J YOU TOTAL
PTS
/ 10 All main idea questions prompted (above) are fully addressed/answered.
5 Each key vocabulary word appears highlighted/underlined and accurately defined.
5 Key Concepts include a record ofat least 8-10 key ideas expressed directly in the
text (should appear as a balance between direct quoting and key phrases/points).
5 Recorded Notes include thorough and accurate responses to the Key Concepts
section by specifically referencing details from the text.
5 Summary fully and accurately sums up, in 6-8 sentences minimum, at least 5 main
ideas expressed in the chapter.
Requirements:
❏ MLA format; types (unless otherwise approved)
❏ Cornell notes format (must include Key Concepts, Recorded Notes, & Summary sections)
❏ Chapter title in quotation marks and book title in italics/underline
❏ Notes appear in “short-hand” techniques are used in that bullet points, indentation,
highlighting/bolding/underlining appear to organize the chapter in notation form
2. Johnston
Eng 12CP
Claire Johnston
Mrs. Jenkins
English 12CP
30 October 2015
“One Story”
KEY CONCEPTS RECORDED NOTES
What is the One Story Theory? One story. E/w. Always. They all take it from and in return
give to the same story.
Pure originality possible.
Everywhere you look. the ground is already camped on.
Pitch your tent still, knowing others were already there. =
Know you won't be first or last.
Why do authors tell the same
stories?
Clear their minds = amnesia
Consciously and unconsciously add pieces of other lit into
their own lit.
Novels contain echoes of novels or poems you’ve never
read.
Why do readers keep reading
the same stories?
Lack of familiarity is unnerving to readers.
Predictability = Comfort
Intertextuality? Everything written is connected to another, even if not
entirely noticeable.
Parody.
Archetypes? Basic patterns!!
Familiarity is comforting to the readers.
Examples- Intertextuality
● Western
3. Johnston
Eng 12CP
○ Big show down? High noon.
Stories
● Arthurian romance = Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur's Court
● The Crisco Kid = Indiana Jones
Movies: Created by authors who had seen other and so on- til every
movie connects with every other movie ever made.
The concept? That one story that has been going on forever is all around
us.
‘Don’t bother with looking for originals.’
We can draw upon them, tap in them, add to them whatever
we want.
Summary: The One Story Theory can be explained in many ways
including, everything we read or see is a parody of a movie
or book we’ve never seen or read. It is the one story that
goes on and on and never leaves us. We draw onto the one
story, tap into it, and take it into our own works. This is
generally referred to as Intertextuality. Every author has
access to this one story, it swirls inside all of them. They
take patterns, archetypes, and either consciously or
unconsciously add them into their literature. Every creation
they have ever made has pieces from literature they have
never seen, taken from literature they have seen.
