Symbols Can't Mean One Thing....Sorry!

    
      You are often asked in an English class what this or that means. Once you’ve come up with a meaning you must support your reasoning with evidence from the text. In some cases there are definitive answers for what something means, and there are other cases when the meanings of something are totally up to the reader’s perspective. This is what I’ve learned from reading the twelfth chapter of “How to Read Literature like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster. In this chapter, Foster talks about the ambiguity of symbolism. In his opinion, the meanings of symbols in stories are totally up to the reader’s perspective. He simply means that any symbol can mean anything as long as you are able to back up your meaning. Yes, of course, there are some interpretations that make more sense than others which is why it is such a confusing concept. This all boils down to mean whatever the reader thinks Foster is trying to say...ha. What I've said so far is all in my opinion.

      

     There are many in the world who would refute the argument, but to me, I think that symbolism can’t be broken down to mean one thing. If symbolism were that simple, we wouldn’t have any difficulties trying to figure out how art, being all types, affects the world around us. Moving forward, authors may use symbols to entice readers into a beautiful experience that allows them to think critically and wonder how things have developed. Symbols display a picture that guides a reader to think about what they have experienced through life and makes them come up with a meaning from their perspective. We can even say that we have symbolism sprouting at every corner of our lives guiding us to the path ahead of us. But with that statement, I might be getting ahead of myself. I just simply believe that symbolism can’t have one meaning. A symbol just has many meanings with some that make more sense than others. Take the reflection scene from “The Lion King” for example. Simba receives a vision from his father that tells him who he really is. We could say this is the point where Simba was truly reborn, or we could say that the reflection was a simple reminder of Simba’s place in nature. Going off of this idea, we could come up with a slew of answers but none of them may be right to all. Everyone has a different perspective on an idea.

      

     Like I said before, symbols have many meanings that come in many different forms. There are some meanings for some pieces of literature that are out of this world. To me, instead of everyone trying to justify their own meaning, we should embrace the many ideas that some individuals come up with. But again, if we were to follow my system, we would probably have no use for school, everyone would think only for themselves, and no one would contribute to the discussion brought on by someone else’s perspective on a certain symbol.  In most cases you’re able to put a label on something, but you just can’t when you live in a world with diverse human beings.

                                    

Of Course a Scarring Means Something in Real Life!!

     While reading the twenty-first chapter of "How to Read Literature like a Professor", by Thomas Foster, I wondered if the “symbolic wound” really couldn’t be applied to reality. A light went off telling me that Foster is wrong in a sense. Yes, the wound we may receive in actual reality does not mean we are destined to save the world and end world hunger, but it certainly makes those few stand out from the rest of society. It gives the actual person in reality to defy the odds or statistics. Think about it! You hear success stories about how, oh say, the kid with no arms learned how to play the piano, WELL, with his feet! Does this not sound like a story? Life in the real world may not be an actual story, but it most definitely can seem like one at times. No, again, the wound does not mean you are undoubtedly destined for greatness, but I believe it makes it so that those with the wound work harder in order for greatness to become them. The wound, in my opinion, does have a symbolic meaning and an actual purpose. The wound or permanent scaring gives you the option to defy your odds and succeed in life, or allow life and people to bring you down and use the scar as an excuse.

     For most situations, it can be safe to say that most authors create stories based off their experiences in life. Keeping that in mind, wouldn’t one assume that an author got the idea of the “symbolic wound” from a past experience in actual reality? One shouldn’t think so squarely when thinking about symbolism. So, again, I believe that the wound is a mark of greatness. Using Foster’s example, who would ever think that Quasimodo would stand up to anyone. He’s ugly and has a hunched back that probably prevents him from doing the daily tasks that are easier for the rest of us to do. Does he use that as an excuse? I don’t think so. He at first allows the townspeople to be detrimental to his self-esteem, but soon her overcomes their torture and stands us for himself. Can this fictional reality not be said for actual reality? Some may allow their shortcomings to deter them from their goals, but others will fight and prove the people that laughed wrong. This is the gift of the “symbolic wound”. Saying that the “symbolic wound” can’t be applied to actual reality is false. In the real world, the wound has different standards.

    The standards that life gives scaring is far less emphasized than the scaring in actual literature, but I think you get my point. All in all, I think this makes things more interesting. People become great because they defy their odds, yes, but what makes it even better is the fact that they were overlooked. They slowly grow so the whole world may see them shine. The gift of the “symbolic wound” is by far the best motivator, in my opinion of course.

                                        
                                        

Identifying the True Goal of the Junior Year of High School

     Many students look into the junior year believing that it is the most difficult of all the high school years. They feel the rush to get prepared for the hardships of college because they've lost touch with their priorities in their previous years, and with no placidity in mind, they tend to burn themselves out before the first semester has ended.  I’ve had several encounters with many juniors who would agree with this perspective, specifically the juniors who couldn’t seem to handle a little pressure brought on by more due dates and the overflow of homework. I, on the other hand, would declare that they’re being whiny brats who can’t handle the simplicity of an easy journey that is filled with lazy teachers that assign work whenever they get the chance. This way of thinking came to mind when I was reading the first chapter of How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. While reading, I began to understand that the daily routine of our lives is, in a way, a non-fictional quest. Looking back at my junior year, it became clear. We, as bright English students, should be able to identify that our junior year is a quest that grants us the mindset of a college student and not the stellar grades we hope to achieve by the end of the year.

     The hard part about figuring out the true goal of the journey is that you won’t realize it until you get through the year. The quester, the junior student, will start off the year cramming for tests that are months away and visiting colleges to make himself known. He’ll do this believing this is the only way to get into the college of his dreams. Yes, this is a way to help, but repeating this cycle would only bring stress. Still envisioning that perfect report card, the junior takes hold of the homework he receives and does everything in his “power” to turn in all of the assignments in on time. But, unfortunately, this is not always an easy task. Sometimes you will have that outside force pushing and pulling your academics away from your control. This "something" would be that extra element that sets you apart from the rest of the other college applicants. This is when things get really tough. The quester can either calm down and plan out the year or continue on the same path. The quester, again, the junior, usually decides to continue because he has already started on one journey.

     As the quest becomes even more difficult, the junior begins to procrastinate and preoccupy his time with that extra element a little too much. The next report card then reflects that attitude. The junior gets his report card and reflects on his year so far. He then realizes that in the beginning he was tiring himself out for no reason. Even with procrastination, his grades were pretty good, not stellar, but good.  Through all that mind twisting stress, the junior begins to understand what junior year does for a student. “Junior year not only teaches you that grades aren’t everything, but that it’s pretty easy to get good grades and relax a little bit”. This is the college mindset.

     Juniors need to understand that high school is difficult in general and should not spend a whole year stressing about a dream college that has odd rates of accepting undergraduate freshman.