Final answer:
One reads in the context of the author’s world, engaging with the narrative, interpreting the message, and evaluating the themes. Understanding the author’s historical and cultural context is crucial for a complete reading experience, as it allows for a symbiotic relationship between the writer and the reader.
Step-by-step explanation:
When one reads, one reads in the context of the author’s world. Reading is a process that involves engaging with the text on multiple levels: you experience the narrative, interpret the message, and evaluate the themes. It is essential to understand the historical, literary, cultural, socioeconomic, religious, and political background within which the text was created to fully grasp its significance. The act of reading includes immersing ourselves in the fictional world created by the author and bringing our critical and intellectual efforts to deepen our understanding and appreciation of life.
Every text is a product of its time, created by an author in a specific context. This fact requires the reader to consider how the social, cultural, or environmental influences present during the author's time may differ from their own. By analyzing these elements, one can appreciate the rich symbiotic relationship between the writer and the reader, where both parties contribute to the reading experience. Furthermore, recognizing that narrators and authors may present different viewpoints is essential to separating the story from the storyteller's personal context.