Don't go chasing after the grand theme, the idea, I told my students, as if it is separate from the story itself. The idea or ideas behind the story must come to you through the experience of the novel and not as something tacked onto it.
📖 Azar Nafisi
In her memoir "Reading Lolita in Tehran," Azar Nafisi emphasizes that the essence of a story lies within its narrative and characters, rather than in abstract themes. She advises her students to focus on the richness of the story itself, suggesting that the core ideas should emerge organically from the reader's experience with the text. This approach discourages treating themes as external concepts to be sought after.
Nafisi's perspective highlights the importance of engaging deeply with literature to discover its true meanings. By experiencing the story firsthand, readers will naturally grasp the underlying messages and themes, making them an integral part of the reading experience rather than an afterthought. This approach encourages a more profound appreciation of the literature's emotional and intellectual depth.
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