I sometimes feel like there is such an emphasis on the author's intent and reading the text "as it was mean to be read" that people genuinely don't get that you can have different readings of things and even if they aren't what the author meant, they still have value.
For instance, a few of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's possible readings.
1. Frankenstein is a tale about human hubris interfering with nature, leading to unforseen consequences.
2. Frankenstein is about the fear of parenthood. The act of creations itself, the fear of raising or not raising a child wrong, and your being responsible for their actions.
3. Frankenstein is about the fear of parental abandonment. It explores how childhood experiences can twist someone's mind and heart until they do things that would make their younger self disgusted.
4. Frankenstein is about the cycle of violence and revenge, beginning with violence towards the human body in creating The Creature and ending with The Creature's violence against himself.
5. Frankenstein is about Mary Shelley's grief at the losses in her life. The book was a way to process that grief.
6. Frankenstein is an exploration of disability and how society treats disabled people, especially when they fight back. Like the bodies of so many disabled people throughout history, The Creaure's body is toyed with when he can not consent, and he must live with the consequences of what was done to him.
7. Frankenstein is a commentary on the intersection of disability and gender. A lot of The Creature's violence comes from him feeling "owed" relationships from other people, especially women. He knows the pain his existence brings him, yet he wants Victor to create a woman for him, regardless of the consequences it will have for her. The Creature thus treats the potential companion the way he was treated before his birth. The fact that she would be a woman is not irrelevant. The Creature wants a wife and all that implies. Though loneliness is a factor, having a woman by his side is one way he can prove himself as not just a man but a human being by the standards of late 17th century European society.
8. Frankenstein is about class warfare, specifically the fear of the rich towards the poor. Victor is able to get away with much of what he does because of his class, up to and included doing nothing as Justine is murdered by the State. Victor starts the story with money, friends, and a loving family. The Creature, who was born with none of those things, systematically strips Victor of them.
10. Frankenstein is about the fear and apprehension of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.
11. Frankenstein was written because Mary Shelley was stuck in Geneva with Lord Byron and there was a writing contest.
Are all these readings what Shelley meant? Probably not. Are they ways to interpret the novel that you could support with citations from the novel? For the most part, yes. Are the readings good jumping off points for a wider discussion? I think so.
And the discussion doesn't have to be academic! It can be explored through fan fics or original works inspired by the novel or what have you.
So, while what the author says and the author's opinions matter, especially if they are still alive, the feelings, thoughts, and opinions their works incite for the audience matters, too.
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