This is really interesting. Here I thought I was the only one to have that argument with an English teacher, granted it was a poetry class not literature.

College is a number of decades behind me and I've come to realize that reading is a personal experience. No two people necessarily get the same thing from the same book, short story, or poem.

Scholars may thrive on digging out deep symbolisms but I think they belong in the same box as movie and art credits. I like what I like. I find beauty, sorrow, and joy when I read, watch movies, or visit museums.