The symbolic level of a text is all the deeper meanings an author embeds into the story. Authors do not write stories just to entertain, they write stories to impart their life experience onto their audience. Foster presents several archetypal symbols to illustrate this concept, such as a walk to the grocery store symbolizing a quest and characters eating together symbolizing communion. The greatest works are ones that are wholly symbolic, such as the works of Shakespeare or Hemingway.
Reading at the symbolic level is an acquired skill that is developed over time. You must be constantly considering the author's overall purpose of the story, but also what role each miniscule detail plays in forming that purpose.An additional hurdle in this process is deciding what the symbol means. Symbols, by nature, have multiple interpretation (if they only had one they would be allegories). This factor can both help and hurt the aspiring scholar trying to figure out an author's purpose.
There are countless ways to read at the symbolic level. Foster gives the example of considering the story within the historical context of the time period it was written in. You could consider he story through political context, cultural context, social context, and so on. Essentially, you must take into account the forces affecting the story not stated within the story.
Response to “#6”
ReplyDeleteDev, I agree with your points and I believe that they align with Foster’s view as well. Authors are more than writers; they are also artists trying to grasp the human experience within their work. Using symbolism allows the author to individualize and standardize their text while developing a storyline for the audience to enjoy. To understand the author’s piece, the reader must look from the author’s perspective and comprehend the concept within the context. This can be difficult for the untrained student because they don't study the author in relation to the text. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Anastasia Jones-Burdick