"You may not subscribe to this list, may find it too glib, but if you want to read like a literature professor, you need to put aside your belief system, at least for the period during which you read, so you can see what the writer is trying to say."
~page 120 of Thomas C. Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor
I remember talking about this in other classes as well. It is much too easy to stay focused--and blinded--by our own views and beliefs while reading. When reading, however, the world we are reading about may not fit within our world view and or belief system. In order to get the most out of our readings, we need to go into each work with an open mind, look at the work as it is, and then analyze it based on what we find rather than on preconceived notions we have. This can in a lot of cases be easier said than done, but it is sometimes necessary in order to fully understand a work.