TV Tropes: A Massive Compendium of Cliché
Rampant paranoia results from this state; one cannot look at anything without being suspicious that this is some kind of allegory brainwashing you into learning An Aesop against your will. Is that box of Ding-Dongs one character is handing another a mere confection, or is it a blessing from On High, manna sent from a merciful God? Or wait… it could be a Deal With The Devil; short-term pleasure resulting in permanent bodily ruination! What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic?
The concept of “the Death Of The Author” hasn’t particularly helped this state of affairs, either, as it allows everyone to insist that their pet theories are entirely valid (with or without justification), regardless of how many times the author of the text states his or her intentions in writing the work, or, as in many cases, that the pet theory absolutely “isn’t” the state of affairs at all.
The Mind Screw series loves this state of mind. It cultivates it intentionally, and takes advantage every chance it gets.
See Freud Was Right, What Do You Mean Its Not Political? and Wild Mass Guessing if you really want to blow your mind.
It’s like a car wreck – you just can’t look away…
