Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
You are certainly can say what a work says or means to you. That's part of the fun of reading a book, listening to music or watching a movie. But that isn't to say that what it means to you is what the work _means_, i.e. the one true meaning of the work. That's the difference. The professor is trying to telling the class what the work _means_. The author is the only person in a position to say what the work was intended to mean.
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When I was in school, no professor was ever that dictatorial. When we discussed literary works, sure, there were certain interpretations that seemed to be the norm, but alternative interpretations were welcome as long as a student could defend them.
P.S. The author can certainly weigh in on what the work was intended to mean, but that isn't necessarily what the work DOES mean.