How to Read Literature Like a Professor #3

Chapter 15:
What I learned from this chapter: Don't be too literal when reading literature. It's hard not to take things for their face value, especially since I am not used to trying to see things as symbols of something else or searching for the author's hidden meaning behind the action or event. The only story that I can think of that has to do with flying is the myth about Icarus and Daedalus. The two of them wanted freedom from the labyrinth, which explains the author's words, "Flight is freedom."

Chapter 16:
Once again, I have learned something new about literature that I did not know about beforehand. I mean, I knew about how censorship compelled authors to use symbols to write about topics that were taboo, but I never knew what some symbols meant. I really liked the example about Ann Beattie's story "Janus" because it helped me understand the use of symbols. The past few chapters all mention Freud and his studies of the subconscious mind. I like how historical events really do affect how authors write. Freud's studies are really interesting to me and I would like to find out more about what he wrote about because it might help me understand what authors were trying to say.

Chapter 17:
Yes, I agree with the author when he says, "Drives you crazy, doesn't it? When they're writing about other things, they really mean sex, and when they write about sex, they really mean something else." It certainly baffles me, and I do not think I will be able to catch all these things anytime soon while I'm reading. Unless a list is provided, but nothing ever means exactly one thing, so that won't work either. Very frustrating, indeed.

Chapter 18:
I found this chapter particularly interesting. I do not know what Baptism is, but I kind of got an idea after reading this chapter. From what I can put together, I believe it is a religious ceremony of some sort where an individual is submerged in water, sometimes three times, and thus is reborn. I do not understand what the whole "rebirth" thing is about, except maybe about shedding sin since water cleanses (or is that only in literature?). So I guess that getting wet in rain is different from getting wet in a river or a lake. Funny how things work out... It makes me wonder who came up with all of this and decided that literature needed all this symbolism. Near the end of the chapter, there is an example that says "...at least one drown and the other fall over a cliff by the sea." It made me think of Lord of the Flies where Roger pushes a huge boulder or rock that hits Piggy, knocking him off the cliff into the rocks that are by the sea. I don't know if it has anything to do with this topic, but it makes me wonder what his death means.