Foster talks about the “symbolic level.” How does this inform the kind of
reading professors (and AP Lit. students) do? How does one work to read in this manner? What
does it require of us as readers?
Symbolism is one of the most prominent literary appeals found in almost every novel.
For something to be a symbol, it has to inherit various meanings. Symbols often lead readers to
engage in critical thinking, motivating interpretation and deep thought, as symbols are often not
traced to represent solely one thing. Symbolism is important to incorporate into literature, as it adds a
divergence of thoughts and ideas that readers themselves can implement within the story.
However, if symbolism isn't noted within a story, “...the novel would cease to be what it is, a network
of meanings and significations that permits a nearly limitless range of possible interpretations”
(Foster 106). In order to understand and appreciate symbolism as a professor and AP Literature
student would, “...questions, experience, and preexisting knowledge” are needed to construct a
mindset that is capable of abstract thought (Foster 107). This type of mindset would need to be
consistently reinforced so that a reader can have a predisposition to understand the meanings of the
text symbolically. As symbolism is interpreted differently based on the reader, it can also be inferred
that individuality is prominent in understanding different meanings of text, as Foster states, “We
bring an individual history to our reading, a mix of previous readings...educational attainment,
gender, race, class, faith, social involvement, and philosophical inclination” (110). As every reader is
unique and will seek different meanings of one specific thing, readers are required to use abstract
thought, obtained through gradual reinforcement, and prioritize individuality within the reading
process. Symbolic imagination requires open-mindedness, complex thought, and the ability to reason.
Symbolism alters how the book is interpreted as a whole in dependence of the individual person.
I really like how you pointed out that “symbolic imagination requires open mindedness”. I especially like that you called it “symbolic imagination” instead of the “symbolic level” because that’s what it really is. Imagination is on a person by person basis, just like symbolism is. Each reader can take an element differently, and fixed set of thinking or the hunt for the one hidden meaning is poison in terms of symbolism. Foster mentioned in chapter 12 that an element that requires one meaning is an allegory, not symbolism. Foster cites Animal Farm as example saying, “Orwell is desperate for us to get the point not a point” (105).
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting how you point out that readers need to be able to think in an abstract way in order to get the most out of their readings. I agree; reading requires a mind that is able to flow in many directions and interpret many different symbols, usually originating from different sources. On this note, I also really like your analysis on how interpreting symbols is personal. I do not have a very abstract mind, and I like things to have set answers, so I think this point is one which I will need to work on if I am to do well this year.
ReplyDeleteI like how you focused on the reader’s ability to think critically because it truly is an important part of the reading process. Being able to think critically is what helps us as readers try to find the meanings of symbols and motifs and wonder why the author would include these things in his or her book. I also agree that a person’s background has a large effect on how they interpret something because not everyone has had the same experiences and those experiences are what help us try to understand it. This also ties into ambiguity and how it actually helps keep a novel interesting.
ReplyDeleteI answered this question as well and I really like the way you went about making sense of it! One of the most important things to remember when reading literature is that different symbols can have different interpretations depending on the reader, and while some meanings make more sense in context than others, everyone is allowed to experience literature in their own unique way. Each reader will ultimately come to their own form of understanding the novel, and sharing these understandings can be the foundation of a great discussion. I loved your ending sentences, I talked about open-mindedness in my response as well!
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