top of page

Lost in Literature? Good! Interpretation's the Whole Point.

5 days ago

3 min read

10

29

0

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an English student in possession of a novel must be in want of the right answer.


There is a particular kind of horror that English teachers know all too well: the moment when a student - usually bright, always keen - looks up from a novel or poem or play and asks, "But what does it really mean?" As if meaning were something waiting at the back of the book in an answer key, like a neatly solved maths equation. As if literature were a code to be cracked. It isn’t. It’s a conversation to be had.


The Enigma machine at Bletchley park - decoding here not in English lessons.
Code Breaking - leave it at Bletchley

Too often, literature classes become exercises in translation - turning poetry into bullet points, novels into thematic crib sheets, plays into nothing more than dialogue. Students are trained to decode, to sift through the text for that elusive ‘correct’ reading, rather than engaging with the text as thinking readers. And who can blame them? At their worst, the exam system, the lessons, the revision guides all reinforce the idea that the study of literature is about retrieval, not response. Students spend more time learning quotes then thinking about why the writer chose to spend effort, pain, tears on exploring that particular theme... Then as an examiner, we wade through thousands of answers that are simply variations on the same 'right' answer.


But here’s the thing: the best readers, the ones who genuinely get literature, are the ones who approach a text as something that exists to be read, not solved. They ask questions rather than hunt for answers. They develop arguments rather than recite pre-approved interpretations. And most importantly, they see themselves as participants in meaning-making, rather than passive consumers of someone else’s ideas.


So, how do we shift the focus? How do we create lessons that invite students to read deeply and critically rather than simply playing literary detective?


Prioritise questions over answers

Great literature is full of ambiguities and contradictions. Instead of flattening that complexity into neat little packages, get students comfortable with uncertainty. "I’m not sure what this means...", "Good! Why not?" A student struggling with a soliloquy in Hamlet isn’t failing; they’re reading like a real critic.


Teach interpretation, not just analysis

Analysis breaks down a text into its parts. Interpretation asks why those parts matter. If students are stuck in the feature spotting trap - counting similes, identifying rhetorical devices - push them towards argument. "What do you think the writer is doing here?" is a much more interesting question than "What technique is this?"


Allow for multiple readings

Some students will see Lady Macbeth as a monstrous manipulator; others might read her as a woman trapped by the limitations of her gender. Both are valid. What’s important is that students know why they think what they think, not that they’ve picked the answer. Encourage debate, let them challenge each other, and model how literary criticism is a spectrum, not a checklist.


Make it personal

Ask students what they felt when they read a passage. Did it remind them of something? Did it frustrate them? Did they hate it? All of this is valid - and all of it is a far better starting point than "What does this mean?" A student who can articulate why a text makes them feel a certain way is already engaging at a deeper level than one who simply regurgitates notes. And once you have done that - layer it up - what did they think, what did they understand?


Ultimately, the goal is not to create a room full of students who can spot a motif from 50 paces. It’s to create readers who think. Who challenge. Who realise that literature is something they do, not something that is done to them. And when they ask, "But what does it really mean?" - we should be giving them the confidence to answer, "That’s up to you. Now, tell me why."


All this with apologies to the wonderful teachers - everywhere - who are doing this day in and day out. You know who you are by the students in front of you!


Comments

Share Your ThoughtsBe the first to write a comment.

Sign up

The Langlit Studio focuses
on building your confidence, deepening your understanding,
and honing your subject mastery.  Our approach enhances your learning
strategies and exam skills, equipping you with highly transferable abilities. 
You're not just investing in your summer exams; you're investing in your entire academic career.

Share your email and we will get in touch to book a free chemistry online meeting to discuss your requirements.

Thank You! We will be in touch shortly

bottom of page