Chapter 12 -Literature

For this chapter, "Is that a Symbol", I used a Poem by Langston Hughes, "Island" to draw parallels and compare with. This chapter discusses the difficulty of figuring out a hidden symbol inside a novel. Although despite how hard that reader might find this task, Foster says that this task is never only right or wrong. Instead interpreting a symbol could conclude differently depending on the person. The Poem I read "Island" by Langston Hughes is based about a boat's weary journey, that has almost has ended. It is literally right in front of them. In this poem Hughes symbolizes their long and risky journey with the "wave of sorrow", its as if this one wave could destroy their whole journey or take them directly to their destination, or in other words "make or break them". In this case the symbol is somewhat easy to judge, although someone else could have though that it was symbolizing a doubtful future on their destined island. I learned from this chapter that as long as you let your imagination go and use a well thought out process in order to determine the true meaning of symbols and what they are symbolizing than you cant go wrong. Unless, of course, it is an allegory, where in that case the symbol was designed to only have one meaning. So instead of stressing about misinterpreting a symbol a reader should let themselves analyze the writing and determine what, in their mind, is the correct interpretation of the symbol.