TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2006)
-GRADE EIGHT-
PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION
SECTION A MINI-LECTURE
Good morning. In today's lecture we shall discuss what meaning is in literary works. When we read novels, poems, etc. we invariably ask ourselves a question, that is "What does the writer mean here?" In other words, we are interested in finding out the meaning. But meaning is a difficult issue in literature. How do we know what a work of literature is supposed to mean? Or what its real meaning is? I'd like to discuss three ways to explain what meaning is. Number One: meaning is what is intended by the author. Number Two: meaning is created by and contained in the text itself and Number Three: meaning is created by the reader.