EL150: What's Your Symbol?

Foster's "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" Chp 10, 12

Foster's chaper "Is that a symbol?" seems to be so very relevant to me... in a number of my classes. And in many ways, I find myself constantly frustrated with the facts he presents. He sums it up on the first page:

"Here's the problem with symbols: people expect them to mean something. Not just something, but one something in particular.

He absolutely right. People fight with each other, and themselves, to figure out the exact meaning of something found in a piece of literature, or art, or film, etc. The problem with this is that suddenly everyone becomes uncompromising. Everyone seems to think they have the exact answer and they will wrestle you in the middle of Otterman St. to decide who is right.

And so often, I find that a majority of class time can be wasted while students argue with each other over meaning. Being an art major, with an English major as well, I have to sit through alot of these classes, and I have found that they always go better when people understand the concept of "symbolism" versus "allegory."

Foster defines "Allegory": "things stand for other things on a one-for-one basis." Then again, Foster states that an allegory is intentional, the writer knows that what he is putting down really stands for one thing only... and if that doesn't come across, then he/she fails.

Foster is right in saying that every reader interprets a story differently. I've experienced this first hand when I talk to people who have read my work published in Eye Contact. And I always enjoy hearing people's interpretations of my work... and often they find symbols that I never intended to be there.

I find that most artists and writers never intend for their paintings and prose to be interpreted the way they are... which I think goes back to Man's ever-present need to find meaning in everything.