My Professor's Dirty Little Secret
“I don’t think you can completely dismiss authorial intent in this example. Doesn’t the author’s background still shape the reader’s interpretation?”
The room went quiet, tension suddenly thick. Dalton’s dark eyes flicked toward me, and for a moment, he seemed amused, until I continued.
“Reducing the argument to purely reader perception ignores context. I mean, if we strip the author entirely, aren’t we risking—” I paused, realizing too late I was building my case in full view of the class.
“Miss Mercer,” Dalton interrupted, his voice sharp now, cutting through the murmurs of the room. “You are allowed to challenge ideas, but please… do not mistake stubbornness for insight.”