Does having a different worldview from that of an author create an obstacle in understanding their text?

Having a different worldview from the author when analysing their texts can lead to a much greater and deeper understanding of their text, as not being confined to the author’s worldview allows the reader to perceive and scrutinise the themes and ideas of the text through multiple perspectives and lenses.

For example, analysing The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid through the perspective of the protagonist (Changez) leads to vastly different interpretations about Changez’s struggle against Islamophobia and racism as compared to analysing the book through the perspective of an American.

However, one consequence of not sharing the author’s worldview (and the assumptions that come with it) is that since most texts are written with a fixed target audience in mind, the reader may not be able to fully comprehend the depth of the author’s point of view. For example, an atheist reading a ‘holy’ book may not really be convinced by it or be able to understand it completely, since they don’t share the author’s worldview and assumptions (such as that supernatural entities exists)

Saumya Shah
G12 Sangfroid