How to read literature like a professor - part 2

How does "How to read literature like a professor" compare mythology and other ancient literature to current literature?

If Tom Jones is going on a journey, he must be following a quest, especially if he has a place to go, a reason to go, challenges, trials, and a "real reason" for his journey. And, if the character seems familiar, he or she probably is based on a character we've seen in literature before. The idea for the story is really not a new idea: that no book is really original, that all literature is based on previous patterns, archetypes and recurrences. There's only one story with millions of permutations, which means readers continue to meet the same old friends, whether it's a female character who's remarkably like Ophelia or Anna Karenina...or an old man who reminds you of King Lear...or a young lad who reminds you of Huck Finn.