Here we go again. The new strategies I have been learning from this book so far have been amazing. Today I will discuss a question I have been thinking about for a long time, hoping this book would answer the question.
The question: Did the author really mean to add all the allusions people seem to see?
The answer,according to Thomas C. Foster is a trifling yes. He explains his view though, through out the chapter. And I must admit. It's legit.
He explains how works of writing today are based off of other works, created in the past. The examples he provides leaves no doubt. One such example is Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! (1936). The title is an allusion to the bible and the characters allude to Greek Mythology, showing the clear influence the Bible and Greek mythology had on the book.
Another example of alluding to previously completed works by more modern books by authors can be seen in Joyce's Ulysses, Order, and Myth which alludes to Homer's Odyssey. Joyce's book follows Homer's plot, but the setting is the modern world. In Homer's version, Odysseus goes to the underworld, but in Joyce's version, Ulysses goes to a cemetery instead.
The question then becomes, what about the pre-1900's authors who didn't have other works to look at?
Well, the answer is clear. Before the 1900's, most authors had some kind of experience with the bible or ancient mythology. So, they were clearly influenced by those works, as can be seen in their masterpieces.
So, I truly do believe, that in most cases, yes, the author did really mean to add all the allusions people seem to see.
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