Critical Methods Assessment

Determinant of Literary Meaning: Author`s Intention or Reader`s Interpretation? Introduction Perhaps one of the greatest proofs of the degree of the development of mankind is the existence of literature. Indeed, the move from a strict chronological narration of events to a more artistic and colourful presentation of events, both real and fictional, can be seen as one of the marks of the time through which man has risen above his primitive instincts to focus more on the beauty and wonder of those around him. Literature also served both as an example and documentation of the civilizations man has come to develop. Along with the different civilizations of man, literature has undergone numerous developments and changes in its number, styles, forms, and numerous others. From long, detailed and sometimes laconic narratives to more vibrant prose and fictions, and even to shorter poems,1 the world of literature has changed greatly. Yet one aspect of literature that has not changed is its ability to describe the beauty and grandeur of the history of the human race, as well as convey the tragedy of man`s darker tendencies to destroy himself and those around him, even including his environment. However, literature can only really be appreciated if it is well-understood by the audience the author is trying to reach. It is then in here that literary meaning comes in. The said understanding of a work of literature is achieved most especially through literary theory. In its most basic sense, literary theory involves the interpretation and systematic study of literature, or of a literary work. In simpler terms, literary theory can involve the criticism and analysis of a literary work.3 Nevertheless, numerous literary and scientific scholars point out that in addition to the provided definition, literary theory can encompass a lot more aspects, but for purposes of clarity, the said simple definition will be used for this paper. Based on this definition, a more detailed exploration of literary theory, and its final product of literary meaning, will be provided in the next section of this paper. Yet before the said more comprehensive exploration or literary theory will be performed, it is important to note that in relation to literary theory, this paper will then explore literary meaning. More specifically, this paper will analyse what aspects of the literary work really determine literary meaning: is it the author`s intentions, or is it the reader`s interpretation of the message and symbolisms of the literature? This analysis will be conducted first through the delineation of what literary theory and literary meaning are, followed by a discussion of the roles of the author`s intention in literary meaning. Afterwards, the role of the reader`s interpretation in literary meaning will be presented and finally, an overall evaluation or comparison will be conducted. Most importantly, this paper will attempt to prove that as much as the author`s intentions that sways and affects literary meaning, it is ultimately the reader`s interpretation that determines literary meaning. Literary Theory and Literary Meaning As mentioned earlier, literary theory involves in its most basic sense the interpretation and systematic study of literature, or of a literary work, or, simply, it involves the criticism and analysis of a literary work. Also, as described earlier, the ultimate product of literary theory is the literary meaning. On a more comprehensive note, literary theory involves the "science" or philosophy of the interpretation of literary criticism and literature itself. Dating back to as early as the time of the Greeks, literary theory has come to mean, in these modern days, the variety of scholarly strategies and approaches to the reading and interpretation of texts, especially in the determination of the meaning or message of the work of literature.4 Still, one of the most fundamental questions in literary theory is, what is the meaning of literature, or, subsequently, of a work of literature? Numerous schools or types of literary theory exist, and these often utilise different approaches to the understanding of literary works. Some of these types and schools of literary theory include aestheticism, cognitive cultural studies, formalism, cultural studies, structuralism, reader-response criticism, postmodernism, post colonialism, and numerous others. However, in the end, no matter what the school or type, all of these forms of literary theory all aim to outline and explore the inner meaning of a literary work.5 Indeed, literary theory and its numerous approaches ultimately attempt to root out the meaning of a literary text, with the aim of understanding the author and the literary work better, especially its literary meaning. Literary meaning is something that has not been expressly defined by books and resources. Although a few books are dedicated to literary meaning, it would seem that a greater majority of the literary scholar world is more focused on the approaches (literary theory) than the final product (literary meaning). Still, from the little resources available, it was deduced that literary meaning involves the interpretation, sense, significance, or connotation that the text intends to portray, or that is perceived upon reading. Literary meaning can involve the different meanings the texts are trying to convey, or they can also involve the different symbolisms of the different components of the literary work.6 Literary meaning takes into consideration, or is affected by different factors, including social prophecy, moral philosophy, intellectual history, and other interdisciplinary themes that serve as the basis for the interpretation of humans. Indeed, the author`s intention, as well as the reader`s interpretation can affect literary meaning. In relation, the next section of this paper will then look into the role played by the author`s intention in literary meaning. Role of Author`s Intentions in Literary Meaning Most educators and scholars argue that in order to grasp the real literary meaning of a literature, one first has to understand the context in which the literature was written. Such can only be achieved through the study of the author`s biography, as well as other historical aspects that shaped the creation of the work of literature. Context alone plays a big role in the way by which literary meaning is created by the author. The historical and environmental background of the aut...