Literary Interpretation

In one of my first English classes in college, I was taught that everyone reads things very differently. Word choice and syntax could mean one thing to one reader but a completely different thing to another.

This made and makes complete sense to me. As much as I try to remember this there are times when I find it hard to believe that one person reads something that is so clearly going in one direction as the complete opposite.

Recently an email went out at work that very clearly expressed one sentiment. A number of people said that it was direct and to the point that one person was questioning another person’s decision. However, one solitary person read the email completely differently. They thought that the person was trying to say something else. No matter how many times we heard that persons comments and proof, we just couldn’t see how she read the email the way she did.

It dawned on me that this person who was arguing with us about our interpretation was actually not making a very good case because she didn’t add the important point that she would send out a note like this when she was frustrated. So clearly this person was thinking about what and how and when she would send out a note like this without looking at the intention and motives of the person who actually sent the letter.

Now, I’m not saying one way was better than another, I’m just saying that it’s important to see where people are coming from when they have an opinion. Sometimes it helps to interpret meaning and motives. Other times, it tells us more about the person who is interpreting that about the person who is writing.