An important task for literature teachers is to develop students' capacity for abstract thinking so that it can be employed on problems at will and by choice. The first process of abstract thinking is one which enables a person to see a connection between A and B, including processes of cause/effect, making analogies, or making comparisons. Another type of abstract thinking is that which enables a person to see a relationship between A and B that yields C, which uses inductive and deductive reasoning, and produces inferences and conclusions. The third and final type of abstract thinking is the process that enables a person to understand A so that what is learned can be applied elsewhere, enabling a person to generalize. The study of literature is particularly well-suited to teach this cognitive skill, because the purpose of literature is to transcend the narrow boundaries of the story and find some essential meaning for all of humanity. Teachers need to break down the concept of cognition into its component parts, in order to develop more effective strategies for teaching abstract thinking. (MM)