"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Freud taught us that. Does the same go true for every image? That is up to individual interpretation. You, me, and a myriad of other people could all interpretate something differently. But symbols must be deciphered like code, taking the time period in which the feature was written, the time OF which it was written, any other prospective symbols on the road of the reading, and where the symbol is at in the conclusion, and how that is measured from the beginning.
The past paragraph in HTRLAP Chapter 12 says "So engage that other creative intelligence. Listen to your instincts. Pay attention to what you feel about the text. It probably means something" (Foster, chap. 12).
So is a cigar REALLY just a cigar? You decide.
Leave a comment