Originally posted by TheAuraAngel
And the rest are his targets. It's pretty funny.The Iliad counts as a classic right? So I suppose it would be mine if Wizard of Oz doesn't count as one.
If he trolls them all, then I could bear finishing the book.
I thought we were going for American classics?
Originally posted by ScreamPaste
That much symbolism would destroy the story, lol. Nothing would make sense. "Why the **** is he picking his ass with a fork?"At end of book "OOOH!"
Using 3 sea-shells to scrape one's ass is lulzier and more symbolic. sneer
In my story, the Cero Espada would be beaten onscreen.
Originally posted by Demonic Phoenix
If he trolls them all, then I could bear finishing the book.I thought we were going for American classics?
Using 3 sea-shells to scrape one's ass is lulzier and more symbolic. sneer
He does. And then he decides "Fvck it, I'm bored." And then dies.
Heart of Darkness isn't American. 😮
Originally posted by ArtificialGlory
Well, in my story a guy shoves a squid up his arse and runs around naked in the middle of the town square while screaming and drinking pig blood. How's that for ****ing symbolism?
I have to say I think that the idea that symbolism found within literature isn’t really there is a falsehood. I agree that perhaps there are handfuls that were not originally thought out or even intended but were actually introduced through the authors own feelings/experiences. My particular favourite example of this is in Dracula;
At the time it was written was the same time Great Britain’s empire was starting to unravel. So not entirely unlike some American’s fear of China at the moment, there was a fear of other countries gaining power would replace Britain as the greatest world power. This is reflected in that Dracula, a Romanian travels to Britain and ‘invades’ it, in a sense.
While this may or may not have been intended it is still I find an interesting aspect of the story, and somewhat of a fascinating revelation of what was probably going on in Bram Stokers head.
Originally posted by Peach
And I hate the whole "there's symbolism in everything!" thing teachers try to push on you in school. Sometimes it's just there cos the author liked it, it doesn't have any hidden meaning!
I feel like responding to this.
While it is true that some symbolism perceived within a story was not intended by the author, this leads into a point that is often discussed and debated by those who study literature; that the emotions the work makes the reader feel and what they believe they represent overrides the author's intent.
For example, Isaac Asimov often told a story of a time he heard a lecture on a book of his, and he then told the professor that he enjoyed the lecture, though that was not what he had in mind when he wrote it. The professor responded with,""Just because you wrote it, what makes you think you have the slightest idea what it's about?""
For those who go to TV Tropes, this mindset is known as "Death of the Author". It proposes that the interpretation the author has on his own work is no more valid than that of the reader's, that the feelings and intentions of the writer have no relevance to the reader's own personal interpretation.
Personally, I believe that the "**** your symbolism" view stems from memories of annoying teachers who pushed symbolism that they disagreed with on them in school, my younger sister is currently feeling much of the same ire towards her teacher for doing this, which IMO is a sign of poor teaching. I believe that teachers should push their students towards coming up with their own personal interpretations of fiction, rather than push their own views on them.
tl;dr if you want beef then bring the ruckus, Wu Tang Clan ain't nuthin' to **** wit.