By examining the interpretation of a wide variety of materials, such as works in translation and literary fiction, Pol Vandevelde presents a new approach to interpretation that reconciles the possibility of multiple interpretations with the need to consider an author&;s intent.
The Task of the Interpreter offers a new approach to what it means to interpret a text, and reconciles the possibility of multiple interpretations with the need to consider the author&;s intention. Vandevelde argues that interpretation is both an act and an event: It is an act in that interpreters, through the statements they make, implicitly commit themselves to justifying their positions, if prompted. It is an event in that interpreters are situated in a cultural and historical framework and come to a text with questions, concerns, and methods of which they are not fully conscious. These two aspects make interpretation a negotiation of meaning. The Task of the Interpreter provides an interdisciplinary investigation of textual interpretation including biblical hermeneutics (Gregory the Great&;s Homilies on Ezekiel), translation (Homer&;s The Odyssey), and literary fictions (Grass&;s Dog Years and Sabato&;s On Heroes and Tombs). Vandevelde&;s philosophical discussion will appeal to theorists of both continental and analytical/pragmatic traditions.
