18.1 Introduction

Interpretation makes the world go around. On a basic level, we need to be able to interpret in order to survive. We are able to get ourselves to campus or work every day because we understand that the red light means “stop” and the green light means “go,” and we understand why those symbols are important.

Additionally, many professions require a person to have refined abilities of interpretation. For instance,

• Judges and lawyers interpret the law.
• Doctors interpret medical imaging and examinations.
• Psychologists interpret their patients’ narratives and histories.
• Religious leaders interpret sacred texts.
• Business people interpret information about their customers and marketing data.
• Emergency Responders interpret crisis situations.
• Cyber-security specialists interpret threats.
• United States Supreme Court Justices interpret the Constitution.

It could be argued that the more high-paying the job is, the more developed one’s skills are expected to be when it comes to interpretation.

Interpretation makes the world go around on a deeper level, too, though—in the sense that interpretation is an essential part of human interaction. Being able to interpret people is crucial to knowing how to respond to our friends’ and family’s emotional needs. Being able to anticipate how others might interpret us is crucial to understanding how we need to communicate in order to be heard, to be safe, and to belong.

Another essential component of human connection is literature—our narratives, plays, poetry, and shows. It is through our stories that we connect—to other people, to other places, and even to ourselves. Literature inspires us, helps us develop new perspectives when we look at the world around us, and fosters our ability to empathize. The more skillfully we can analyze literature, the better equipped we are to understand the world.

One of the essay assignments in English 161 and 162 is the interpretation of literature. Specific instructions will vary depending on the course and instructor. The purpose of this chapter is to clarify what literary interpretation is, offer strategies for approaching the challenging tasks of reading literature analytically and writing a literary interpretation essay, and provide examples of interpretive claims and essays.

Literary interpretation builds on the skills of summary, description, and analysis that you learn and practice in English 161 and 162. However, creative works require interpretation, and interpretation requires a special skills set. This chapter will help you understand what we mean when we ask you to make an interpretive argument about a literary work. It will also help you recognize the differences between making an evaluative claim, recording an observation, or recounting the chronology of events within a literary work.

Continue Reading: 18.2 What is Literary Interpretation?