I think this is an area where many English teachers need work. Many English teachers present literary analysis as if it is what they experienced the first time

I think this is an area where many English teachers need work. Many English teachers present literary analysis as if it is what they experienced the first time they read a particular work. That may be true in some cases, but often, that opinion formed because it's what the experts in that particular writer say. English classes, especially at the University level, would be so much more useful if, instead of saying "the boat trip signifies x", professors went into the reasons they believe that. In some cases, it is personal opinion. In other cases, it is personal opinion based on 30 published articles. And, in still other cases, it is their personal opinion because if they believed anything else, they'd be laughed out of conferences.