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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 7666004" data-attributes="member: 177">But, it is also possible to over-interpret, and push too much of what you know about the author into your thinking about the work, distorting the actuality.&nbsp; There's a comedic songwriters, Tom Lehrer, who had noted, &quot;When correctly viewed, *everything* is lewd.&nbsp; I can tell you things about Peter Pan, and the Wizard of Oz?&nbsp; There's a dirty old man!&quot;&nbsp; Which here we can take as in an indication that if you are *looking* for something, you will find it.&nbsp; So, if you are looking for racism, you will find something you can interpret as racism.&nbsp; That doesn't mean that was the author's intent, or even the effect when a reader who isn't looking for it will receive.So, what do you prefer - incomplete, or inaccurate?Moreover, there is a major issue when we look at a historical figure, note his attitudes, and then analyze that by *today's* standards.&nbsp; That is leaving out a major context of the work - yes, HPL was racist.&nbsp; But so was most of his culture.&nbsp; Interpreting how &quot;political&quot; the work was requires we keep that in mind.&nbsp; Saying something that most of his culture already believes isn't much of a political statement.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 7666004, member: 177"] But, it is also possible to over-interpret, and push too much of what you know about the author into your thinking about the work, distorting the actuality. There's a comedic songwriters, Tom Lehrer, who had noted, "When correctly viewed, *everything* is lewd. I can tell you things about Peter Pan, and the Wizard of Oz? There's a dirty old man!" Which here we can take as in an indication that if you are *looking* for something, you will find it. So, if you are looking for racism, you will find something you can interpret as racism. That doesn't mean that was the author's intent, or even the effect when a reader who isn't looking for it will receive. So, what do you prefer - incomplete, or inaccurate? Moreover, there is a major issue when we look at a historical figure, note his attitudes, and then analyze that by *today's* standards. That is leaving out a major context of the work - yes, HPL was racist. But so was most of his culture. Interpreting how "political" the work was requires we keep that in mind. Saying something that most of his culture already believes isn't much of a political statement. [/QUOTE]

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