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| Table of Contents | Printable Version COMMENT ON THE STUDY OF LITERATURE The study of
literature is not like the study of math or science, or even history. While those
disciplines are based largely upon fact, the study of literature is based upon
interpretation and analysis. There are no clear-cut answers in literature, outside
of the factual information about an author's life and the basic information about
setting and characterization in a piece of literature. The rest is a highly subjective
reading of what an author has written; each person brings a different set of values
and a different background to the reading. As a result, no two people see the
piece of literature in exactly the same light, and few critics agree on everything
about a book or an author. In this study guide, we have tried to give an objective literary analysis based upon the information actually found in the novel, book, or play. In the end, however, it is an individual interpretation, but one that we feel can be readily supported by the information that is presented in the guide. In your course of literature study, you or your professor/teacher may come up with a different interpretation of the mood or the theme or the conflict. Your interpretation, if it can be logically supported with information contained within the piece of literature, is just as correct as ours. So is the interpretation of your teacher or professor. Literature is simply not a black or white situation; instead, there are many gray areas that are open to varying analyses. Your task is to come up with your own analysis that you can logically defend. Hopefully, these booknotes will help you to accomplish that goal. Copyright ©2003 TheBestNotes.com
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