Writing Lit analysis papers.

[JPD]

My last gen ed requirement that I need to do is an upper level lit course. As someone who takes everything at face value, I can not see hidden meaning inside of stories. Once someone points out a hidden meaning, I can usually see it, but it is not something I can do myself; which makes coming up with thesis ideas nearly impossible.

In addition I don't believe everything in every story has a hidden meaning, sometimes something is just there for the purpose of being there, and no meaning was attended.

Vent over. I just can't wait for this class to be over and I can concentrate on only classes that are absolutely necessary for my major.

[HYHYBT]

Just from interest, does the course insist that everything (or even anything) in every story has a hidden meaning? If so, does that hidden meaning have to be intended by the author, or is the possibility that they are imaginary and subjective allowed?

Sometimes all there is besides face value is what you put there yourself. And if that's allowed, you can always make something up.

[Rageaholic]

I sympathize. Why do they always have some specific literature class as a gen ed requirement? I don't. Need. It. I can get through life fine without reading Walt Whitman or Emily Dickenson.

[JPD]

Just from interest, does the course insist that everything (or even anything) in every story has a hidden meaning? If so, does that hidden meaning have to be intended by the author, or is the possibility that they are imaginary and subjective allowed?

Sometimes all there is besides face value is what you put there yourself. And if that's allowed, you can always make something up.

That is fine for in class discussions, but not for papers, as the thesis has to be approved, and he will not approve a thesis that he does not agree with, or does not think could be defended.

Also due to lack of work ethic when I was in middle school and high school I never really learned how to write a paper, but due to my SAT score (from before there was an essay requirement) I didn't have to take a remedial class in college.

And while I did have to take a composition class in college I ended up in a section where I was the only student that was not honors or AP in high school, so the teacher didn't cover what was supposed to be covered in the class.

[Giggle Goose]

Hated, hated, hated lit analysis. I did horribly on those papers for that same reason. Sucked the fun out of reading and kinda killed the idea of ever majoring in English Hopefully you can get through the class unscathed.

[LadyBarbossa]

In addition I don't believe everything in every story has a hidden meaning, sometimes something is just there for the purpose of being there, and no meaning was attended.

THIS! I used to hate that in school. "What statement was the author trying to make with this story? What is the overall theme of this poem? What point was the author trying to get across to the reader?"

Used to make me want to scream "Maybe they just sat down and wrote a story and said 'Hey, this is how I want this to end, yeah, I like that idea!' and weren't trying to make some grand, profound moral or political statement at all!"

[bex1218]

I can barely make a sentence about the author was thinking, let alone a whole paper. And don't the authors usually leave it to interpretation? People get different vibes, its not all one.

[RedRoseSpiral]

I write, I've written since I was a kid. Very, very rarely is there some deep profound meaning behind what I write, or at least that is not the purpose of the work. I write to entertain, to tell a store. I don't add itty bitty things that have omg so much meaning. Lit teachers need to understand that sometimes a blue curtain is just a blue curtain.