Living the Fictional Dream

When I was in grad school, professors discussed the intentional fallacy of literary criticism — the danger of interpreting a piece of literature in a certain way because that meaning is what the author intended. I remember being perturbed by that idea at the time. After all, if an author doesn’t know what his or her writing is about, then who will? The discipline of literary criticism has plenty of ideas!

What the intentional fallacy (and literary criticism in general!) helped me realize is that there isn’t just one correct interpretation for a story. A reader with determination can extract nearly any meaning out of a story that they want to. I read papers in scholarly journals reducing great works to a certain meaning based solely on the treatment of women, philosophical ideals, wealth, or the type and amount of food eaten by the characters. Someone determined enough can probably prove their chosen interpretation for any work.

Personally, though, as a reader, I don’t want to have to think that hard about it. I want to enjoy what I read, I want it to affect me emotionally (affective fallacy anyone?), and I want it to tell me a good story with characters I like. I want to be transported to a reality different than my own. I want that vivid, continuous fictional dream. If I get those things, then to me, the story is a success.

But, there are themes in stories, and symbolism. The author’s intent is there, too, whether or not you take it into account. But the thing that no one can predict is what the reader brings to the table. Everyone looks out onto the world from his or her own window made up of their experiences, thoughts, and perceptions. That means every reader brings something of his or her own to the story. Something that resonates deeply for one reader may not be more than a blip to another.

Take C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, for example. Lewis has stated that he did not intend to write the series to be a Christian allegory, but you cannot deny that the Christian themes do exist. But (at least in my readings) a direct Biblical interpretation doesn’t work. There are too many elements that don’t fit. To me, it’s a beautifully drawn fantasy world with characters we like. I do see the Christian symbolism (Aslan’s sacrifice always brings me to tears, and my heart soars at his resurrection), but that isn’t the end-all, be-all of the stories.

And, in the end, I think that’s the way a discerning reader should think. No, I’m not saying that my personal take on Naria is the “right” one. I’m saying that a discerning reader reads the story with what they bring to the table and takes away what works for them.

Trying to force someone else to see your interpretation as the “right” one… it just doesn’t work, for the most part. And it stands more of a chance of turning the other person off to what might be a very enjoyable and very meaningful read.

But how does that relate to my stories? Do I think that my interpretation as the author should be important? I do think authorial intent has a place. I always find it interesting to know what writers were thinking when they wrote their stories. What did Lewis think about Narnia? Why did my fellow writing group member Jens chose a particular theme for a certain short story? In Twilight, why is Stephanie Meyer so hard on Bella? [I read in an interview that she's anti-human (humans would always need rescuing when vamps and werewolves are in the mix), not anti-female, which she has been accused of.]

But the authorial interpretation is not the only one. There are as many interpretations out there as there are readers. And, to me, that is the whole beauty of this game… the sheer possibilities of it all!