As my mission statement and the title of my blog suggests, I love over-analyzing stories of all kinds. I believe it is a very fun and effective method of bettering your understanding of the things you read, no matter how mundane or trivial.
There are those, however, who turn this pastime into an issue. I'm sure you've heard the jokes about how English teachers will demand that symbolism be found in the smallest of details. This is an example of when over-analysis is mistreated. When analyzing art of any kind, it should be understood that it is subjective. That any interpretation is just as valid, if not more so, than even the author's own intention. I, among many others, have fallen victim to the tyrant that requires a symbolic rendering of something so simple and literal as a house.
Let that sink in.
Many children in English class are required to elaborate the potentially infinite interpretations of such mundane and simple concepts, yet are "corrected" when their interpretations are "wrong". One example would be when I was told to provide the symbolism of Gatsby's home from the book "The Great Gatsby". Among other things, I said that his home would be a safe-haven, or sanctuary, as it is almost universally understood that a person should feel safe in their home.
My teacher informed me that I was incorrect, because Gatsby was killed in his home.
As silly of a problem as this may seem, it is very important to address, as children all across the country are being reprimanded for the crime of having original thought. In this world, the ability to "Dig Deeper" is one of the greatest that one can have, as it gives them an advantage over others that don't fully understand the copious amounts of information that is bombarding our eyes each and every day. This way of thinking is being suppressed among the public, to the point where it almost sounds like a "1984"-esque conspiracy theory that the government wants to "control the masses" or something along those lines.
I encourage anyone who has gone, or is going through, such a failure of education to think about whether or not you agree with your instructor's interpretations. Think about why you agree, and what lead you to such a conclusion. For the purpose of the course, give the answers that your instructor wants to hear, but in your own mind, think about which ones you believe and which ones you don't. Don't worry if you disagree with them all, and don't worry if you disagree with none. As long as everybody can keep their own beliefs intact, this problem should, hopefully, be gone within a few years.
I absolutely LOVE this and could not agree with you more. Schools need to encourage thought and originality, not contain it. The ability to "Dig Deeper" needs to be widespread!
ReplyDeleteThis is very well put. Like I've experienced in my philosophy class it's encouraged to input your ideas in discussion. Students should not be discouraged to put forward the way they interpret something.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you explain your experiences in the class and that some teachers don't look outside the box the make. Kind of like it's their way or the highway.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with what you say
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel that teachers think that their ideas or the way they teach generations is the best and most correct way, even if the students gives what they thinks is true and it is just opinions that no one in the world can restrict.
It’s unfortunate that people still think there is a certain way for everything and that there can be no other options especially when it comes to learning.
ReplyDeleteKenneth--Good job with your four new entries. You present some interesting topics for consideration, and for the most part, you are doing a great job "digging in". One entry was a bit thin. You have good visual set up of the text. Are you not including images intentionally? None of your new entries have any images or videos. Just a thought. Keep it up!
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