Some interesting ideas for me as a (shortly to be former, well for a year, anyway!) English teacher. I sometimes think I am guilty of placing too much importance on perceived symbolism when all I want to say is "it's a great story/play/poem regardless of what we perceive the author's intentions to be". But then there's the notion that the reader's interpretation is just as important as the writer's intention - so whatever you read into a text, regardless of original authorial intention, is a valid interpretation (provided you can back it up with a quotation from the text!).

I spent a great hour today chatting with my Year 10 (15 year old) class about Conan Doyle's wonderfully cheesy pathetic fallacy and other techniques in The Hound of the Baskervilles - now THERE'S an author who really knew how to milk the cliches and write a ripping yarn. I think the kids looked at me like I was mad when I kept giggling whilst reading a chapter to them, but honestly, ACD is such a glorious hack sometimes!