I am so glad that he addressed this topic. I think it about it a lot. (Well mainly when I'm studying/teaching difficult poems or when I'm reading the answers to the AP Hamlet study guide we will use--did Shakespeare REALLY think that deeply when he was writing about the child actors? I don't know.)
However, I do think Foster brought up some good points. Those of you who love to read are probably stronger writers--you learn something from every book you read, even if you don't realize it. While I'm not sure that every classical author truly meant for us to interpret themes and ideas in the ways that we have, I think they definitely had to put much more thought into what we are reading than we can even imagine.
I know that when I write something it takes much longer to write it than it takes for someone to read it--and I'm not trying to relay some subtle theme...What do you guys think? Is everything on purpose? Do the authors really intend for us to make all the connections to all the allusions and all the symbols and all the themes etc...???????
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I believe that everything someone writes has purpose. Whether it comes down to a simple or complex sentence. Or if it uses bigger words than some of us can understand i believe everything has purpose whether its simple or more complex. I don't believe that authors write for us to pick up on all the connections, themes, or symbols in a book. I believe that literature is meant for us to read and learn something. Most of the times for me i read something and learn lessons that i can apply to my own life. That is how i relate best to an authors work.
ReplyDeleteJeff Abel
I'm not sure about professional authors who have been schooled on writing any and everything, maybe their brains are complex enough to think that in depth. I know that i for sure cant. It's hard enough for me to recognize allusions and etc. let alone try to come up with some on my own. However, i do find that a lot of things in writing happen on accident. More times than not a teacher will point out a symbol or theme that i've come up with and i don't even know that i've done it! So as for professionals yeah i think they have the time and complexity to purposly put those things in there but 9 times out of 10 i don't recognize them.
ReplyDeleteI believe that most of the professional writers to write to make us think. I think that they sit and think for a while before they write something to think of how they can make someone read their writing more deeply when they are reading it and not just have to skim the book to read it. I know that it is hard for me to think deeply when I am reading a book and its hard for me to make the connections that i think the author wants me to.
ReplyDeletei think that most of the time pro writers think about what they write quite thoroughly, so that the story is more exciting and enjoyable. but sometimes they write things that have a deeper meaning than what they had planned. there are some things that are in books that i realize the deeper meaning, but there have been many that someone else had to point out. so i dont think everything is on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI am also glad that Foster brought this point up. When you think about it, I mean really think about it, whether the author sits there and thinks of what they want their theme to be or if they want readers to find a deeper meaning, would strictly depend on the type of write that they are. i have to say that I am kind of, not exactly disagreeing, but kind of different thought pattern than everyone else. I think that most authors spend more of their time thinking about the storyline and plot they want to write about, and when they start writing their story is when they when they see the possiblity oof a deeper meaning or theme, and elaborate more from there. Then they decide that they want the readers to put thought into what they are reading.
ReplyDeleteIn my spare time, i love to write and read. Whether it be poems or short stories etc. And sometimes when I am complete and I read over my work,i come across allusions and symbolic things i have included without purposely meaning to, with that being said, I believe it is still probable a lot of authors purposely put it in their work to give it more depth and meaning, and a feeling of mystery of some sort.
ReplyDeleteI think that no matter what it is, every thing has some purpose to it...whether it be simple or complex. What we get out of a story may be something completely different than what another person gets out of that same story, so with that in mind I think that authors intend for us to make connections to allusions and all of that but I don't think that its so thought out and written to where every person perceives it the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think that when authors write stories or song writers write songs from what they feel at the moment, and I think that subconsciously they can include more meaning than they meant to involve. Not everything is on purpose, but everything has a reason. I love to write songs and sometimes I can see more of myself in them than I meant to include.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, if the author wrote it then i think he meant it to be there. If the author felt it was suppose to be there then he would put it there. i think it will help you discover the meaning to the of the book. It just makes me think about the book in a different way. It just helps me think about the book.
ReplyDeleteI believe every author’s writing has a very good purpose and i think that they did dig deeper so we, the readers, could get a use out of their story. i think most writers write for entertainment but a lot of things are for us to gain knowledge and to even learn lessons. for example the Bible, it was written for a meaning, a meaning to inform us of the past and to even get ready for the future. But im not so sure as to if authors sit for hours and hours thinking of the theme for their stories and had to think about what their readers would gain from them. Maybe its just a gift writers have to just be able to start writing and there the theme is, who knows though, I am by no means a writer.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everything is written for a reason. The author has to have everything thought out before he writes the book or whatever he is writing ot it will be pointless...I'm not saying some little details are pointless but other things are..
ReplyDeleteeverything is written for a reason. and i personally think at some points the author doesn't intend for us to see the allusions but we do and they makes us want to read more
ReplyDeleteI think that professional authors always think about what they are putting into their stories. On the other hand though, I believe it is not the message that the reader gets. The author will write to a certain point about a subject and he can leave a little space for you to think on your own. That is what makes reading enjoyable. So, if a writer is leaving all of these small clues about something, you can draw your own conclusion about it and it will be pretty close to what the author wanted, but not exactly.
ReplyDeletei think authors always have a purpose when they write, otherwise they probably wouldnt write about most of the things they write about. Im not so sure they mean to include all of the allusions every time, im sure they do sometimes and even then i dont know if they intend for us to see it, only they can answer that
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