Before my drive home for the weekend, I promised a friend I'd bring back my copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray for him to read. Always true to my word (or at least when it involves books), I packed the "distinctively dazzling" novel with my belongings this morning as I left for the return trip to school. Of course, one glance at the cover brought me straight back to my high school English class, in which I had to read the book and analyze its religious and mythological subtexts and allusions. That's how I learned that Dorian represents Narcissus of ancient Greek fame, and his beloved Sybil Vane shares a fate with the nymph Echo. (If you aren't familiar with either story, don't worry about it... but if you need to catch up on your Greek mythology, you can read Echo's story here. Warning: Spoiler Alert!) It's also how I found out that the opening scene is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, and that Dorian's plea for eternal youth is reminiscent of the Faustian bargain, et cetera.
Anyway, it was all a bunch of crap... because as important as those allusions are to a "richer" understanding of the book, they didn't necessarily contribute to my enjoyment of the piece. Even if I hadn't done all the research I did for that assignment, I still would have been just as entertained and terrified by the events of the book.
This isn't to say that those allusions aren't important in the grand scheme of life, and that all symbolism should be totally thrown to the wayside. Obviously these things are powerful when done well (and Oscar Wilde does them very well), but English teachers focus so intently on those smaller elements of the story that they fail to recognize the bigger picture. Many writers do write so that their messages can be heard by readers of many levels, not just by people with Doctorates, so it saddens me when other students read the classics and hate them on principle, because they were forced to deconstruct them to such a degree that reading was no longer fun.
Yes, allusions are important. Yes, sounds and symbols and subtexts are important. Yes, figurative language is important. But so is literal language. So are witty dialogues. So are compelling plotlines that keep us turning the pages. So are the protagonists we relate to and root for, and the antagonists we can't stand and root against. If you read the book and it made you feel something, positive or negative, then you have reacted in the way that the author intended.
It doesn't matter how "sophisticated" your reading of the piece was. All that matters is that you kept an open mind (figuratively and not literally).
ugh, i can't even begin to tell you how much i agree with this post. i used to be an avid reader, and after junior year, i probably despise picking up a book more than anything. i feel like some teachers don't understand that literature is more about discussion and open interpretation rather than extreme scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteVery true! It's fun to read books that your friends read and then be able to talk about them later, but not really on the level of "His hat symbolizes his inner demons and the fact that he sits in an armchair instead of on a couch means that..." I mean, sometimes there is something symbolic that you just HAVE to point out, but I don't think it's necessary to go looking for it, y'know? And often, of course, different things have different meanings for different people - and that doesn't mean that one interpretation is always going to be more valid than the others.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I really do hope reading becomes fun for you again... I'm sorry about what AP classes have done!