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Symbolism In How To Read Literature Like A Professor

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Analysis of Symbolism In Thomas C. Foster’s book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, he argues that symbolism almost always represents multiple things. It is not concrete. It all depends on how one interprets it. Symbolism is not a concept of the black-and-white “What is this?” It is a mass of the collected gray areas of, “What could this be?” Foster asserts that it is impossible to pin down a single meaning for a given symbol; this is true even in clear-cut cases, though meaning can be very similar from case to case. Symbolism must not be confused with allegory. Allegories are meant to convey one direct message. Allegories are there to lead you to one sentient thought at its end. Symbols, on the contrary, can take one on many different
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