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While satire clearly can go above a young boy's head, it is important to keep an open mind about literature. Symbolism doesn't necessarily need to have a purpos

While satire clearly can go above a young boy's head, it is important to keep an open mind about literature. Symbolism doesn't necessarily need to have a purpose. We can also learn a lot about the environment in which a writer operated, just by learning from which symbols was used to convey a message. This is one of the central points, but also perhaps the most misunderstood, of modern (and post modern) literary criticism. Your teacher may not have been the best, but that does not mean all literary criticism is bad.

mythrwy 5y ago
Symbolism doesn't also necessarily need to exist. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. My complaint was (and still is 30 years later) is that an entire cottage industry seems to have arisen around finding hidden meanings. Would we do that to television today? Does the cartoon "King of the Hill" contain hidden significance and deep moral lessons? Maybe. Or maybe it's just wit mostly designed to entertain.
- CRConrad 5y ago
  > Does the cartoon "King of the Hill" contain hidden significance and deep moral lessons? Maybe. Or maybe it's just wit mostly designed to entertain. As the kids apparently say nowadays, por que no los dos?