Prompt #6
Analyzing text on the "symbolic level" involves scrutinizing the work for prevalent or recurring themes, and drawing a connection between them and an overarching idea that is present within it. It is practiced by reading professors to deconstruct a literary work to find a deeper meaning that passive readers would've glossed over; whether it be an object, image, or event. It is important to note that symbolism also relies on the personal thoughts and experience, and that there is not a "clear-cut" definition of what a specific symbol may stand for. This is expounded upon when Foster identifies caves as a prime example of symbolism within E.M. Foster's A Passage to India. Depending on the interactions of various characters, caves can have a multitude of meanings – from fear and darkness, to colonialism and hypocrisy, or even a way of accessing the subconscious state of a character.
"The only thing we are sure of about the cave as symbol is that it keeps its secrets...What the cave symbolizes will be determined to a large extent by how the individual reader engages the text"
(p 102-103, Chapter 12 - Is That a Symbol?)
What reading on the "symbolic level" requires from us readers is that we bring our own experience and preexisting knowledge into our analysis, and use that to develop an idea of what a particular symbol may stand for to us individually. For AP Students in particular, it may seem to difficult to draw connections and form ideas about symbolism, simply because we lack the experience that literature instructors and professors have gained through years of reading. Professors have the benefit of being able to draw conclusions about their thoughts on symbolism with the ideas found in other texts, as they more than likely have read ones that shared similar symbolism, themes, and ideas.
"The only thing we are sure of about the cave as symbol is that it keeps its secrets...What the cave symbolizes will be determined to a large extent by how the individual reader engages the text"
(p 102-103, Chapter 12 - Is That a Symbol?)
What reading on the "symbolic level" requires from us readers is that we bring our own experience and preexisting knowledge into our analysis, and use that to develop an idea of what a particular symbol may stand for to us individually. For AP Students in particular, it may seem to difficult to draw connections and form ideas about symbolism, simply because we lack the experience that literature instructors and professors have gained through years of reading. Professors have the benefit of being able to draw conclusions about their thoughts on symbolism with the ideas found in other texts, as they more than likely have read ones that shared similar symbolism, themes, and ideas.
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