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My book club tore apart my character analysis last month
I presented this deep take on the narrator in 'The Guest' by Camus and thought I was being clever. One member said I was reading symbols where there weren't any and ignoring the actual plot. She pointed out three specific scenes I had totally twisted to fit my theory. I went back and reread those sections and she was right. My analysis was just showing off instead of engaging with what the author actually wrote. Now I force myself to write down the basic story first before jumping to themes. Has anyone else had their pet theory shot down and had to start over?
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morgan_martinez27d ago
Man, that's a humbling experience but probably a good thing long term. So when you went back and reread those scenes, did you find yourself disagreeing with your old theory completely or just see holes in how you argued it? I'm curious if the story itself changed for you or just your approach.
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leo_fisher27d ago
Ha, reminds me of when I swore my dog was stealing my socks. Turns out they were just in the laundry.
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