I’ve often taken notes on a book I’m reading. I’ve slowed down my usual reading speed, trying to understand it as slowly as possible, concentrating on what’s being said, focusing on a few points that are likely to get lost in the detail. Although it’s more intense and tiring, I don’t always read this way. Since I know that we will be creating a discussion environment around the book, I think it would be more convenient to have a tightly woven ball of information.
Like I said, it can be a real headache, but I think it also adds to my enjoyment. I think it gave me a different perspective. When I read the novel, I took notes and underlined sentences without fear for the first time. I realised that if I didn’t damage the pages, I should be able to overcome this concern.
But it is not about me, it is about the book and the author. As I read, I paid attention to the situations the characters found themselves in, the steps they took and the obstacles they encountered. I tried to understand where the connected dots would converge and whether they would get lost in the literary narrative. As far as I could, of course.
Several times I asked myself the important question: “I wonder if the author wrote the point I now understand, or think I understand, with exactly this intention?” This was an interesting point, because if he did not intend to convey what I thought he did, it meant that I could misinterpret the narrative. I thought about how to overcome this and started to do some research. First of all, while refreshing what I knew about the author, I also began to read information about the book.
Although I had an idea about some unexpected topics and tried to make up for my lack of knowledge, I was not able to do so completely. Because we cannot say with certainty that we can grasp everything that is described without exception. Sometimes we can perceive and understand these things as much as the content tells us, sometimes with excerpts from the author’s life, sometimes with prefaces and other author comments written about the book, or with quality reviews of the book.
Then I remembered that I had read something about this last week. It was surprising that they coincided, and I immediately started researching. The concept I am highlighting is the author’s intention.
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According to the narrative, every writer should have at least one intention in writing. Although the number of elements varies in different sources, in general an article should be either persuasive, informative or entertaining. Although there are some variations within these, the purpose of the article is generally formed around them.
Once writers have worked out how to get the message across, they should look at specific elements. We should uncover these by asking certain questions, both when reading (reader response) and when writing (authorial intent). Again, although the elements vary, let me talk about the parts that I think are clearer.
Analyse the author’s point of view and ask what the author is writing about. Identify the purpose of the article by asking why. Consider who the author is writing to and understand the intended audience. By looking at how the author writes, you can analyse the tone.
Once this is done, you can begin to see how the author’s purpose is being shaped. Again, I won’t go into detail, but the use of certain verbs makes it easier to evaluate.
In addition to this topic, another source discusses the titles of writing style and authorial choice. It says that while writing style is based on sentence structure and word usage, authorial choice is the part that deals with the overall narrative, such as character development, unexpected twists and changes at the climax. By focusing on such points, we can observe the originality of the author’s purpose.
Now you might say, “Alright, we get it. Every author and every story has an intention (to persuade, to inform, to entertain). To understand this, we make some observations by looking at the use of verbs and asking certain questions (what, why, to whom, how). Also, analysing the author’s own unique structure (writing style, authorial choices) throughout the book can help us to understand. But what can we do if all this is not clear enough, if it has a structure that serves more than one purpose or if there is a very limited narrative for us to understand? Isn’t that a problem?”
I don’t know about you, but I asked and did some more research. But the subject seemed too overwhelming and dense, so from that point on I started to look into the subject that interested me. The first thing I learnt was that the title of this subject is “Literary Theory”, those who want to read more can continue with this concept.
The title we have to deal with now is “the fallacy of authorial intent”. In fact, similar questions are often asked in literature and the inconsistency of narrative intention is emphasised. So this concept had to be analysed. It has been divided into three categories.
Internal (or public) evidence, external (or private) evidence and intermediate evidence.
Internal evidence, as the name suggests, focuses on the interior of the text. In other words, it is assumed that the author’s intention is still hidden somewhere in the text, in a way that is not unique to it or detached from the whole text. For example, if you come across an absurd narrative in a story based on romance, or if scientific points are approached in an unusual and irrelevant way, it can be understood that something is wrong.
This can be taken as evidence that lies within the text and can help us to understand what the author intended. Different narrative techniques, unexpected use of vocabulary or changing styles of expression can give this away.
External evidence is the part that is completely outside the text and shows that we should be interested in the author. In fact, this shows that we are in a somewhat difficult situation. Because it means that we are in a case where we cannot catch a purpose related to the book in the book itself. And if we think about it, a transition from the book to the author is like a transition from the specific to the general. This shows that there are too many points to consider. The author’s life is of great importance, with important archival records such as autobiography, biography, letters, additional notes, words of friends, interviews.
All of us, whether in literature or any other art form, sometimes come across unexpected information in interviews or other unrelated texts. We’ve even had an epiphany about the artist: “Oh, so that’s why he did that!” Perhaps in our search for external evidence we need to come across such a moment to see what the purpose of the narrative is.
Finally, the intermediate evidence concerns both points. And, as you may recall, I mentioned at the beginning of the article that I was actually practising this without realising it. I tried to be sure of the author’s intentions both by analysing what was written in the text and making notes, and by researching the author’s life and consulting other relevant sources. This is certainly more time-consuming, but I find it more productive and enjoyable. In fact, I would argue that if you want to enjoy a work of art, we should definitely, definitely adopt this kind of practice.
You’ve seen a film and at the ending you’re in a dilemma. You know, a lot of directors like to leave you thinking at the end of the film with their signature styles. Remember those moments when you ask one another, “So, what happens next?”. If you’re a curious person and the conversation with your friend has left you wanting to know more, you jump in. Internally you talk about the film and make important points, but externally you look at the reviews, the director’s related films and opinions.
When you go to a museum, you experience paintings somewhat internally, but if you do not analyse them externally, it will not go beyond a weekend trip. If possible, you should both internally engage with the canvas and externally read about the life of the painter. I think that is what it means to be a true art lover, to feel art in your bones.
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The moment a work of art leaves the artist’s hand and meets others, it becomes open to evaluation and criticism. Although it belongs to the author, everyone who experiences it is like a shareholder. I think the most important thing for a writer is to be able to take into account comments from readers at all levels and to know which ones to care. For this, it is necessary to be as conscious as the reader as the author. We should consume works of art not only to criticise or praise them, but also to assimilate and enjoy them. Everyone’s perception will be different, as we said, depending on how they deal with art. I think the process is good in this respect. However, in order to be able to make a detailed analysis and interpretation, it would be good to adopt a form that deals with the basics mentioned in the article.
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