The question of manuscript changes is very important for literary criticism, the psychology of creation and other aspects of the study of literature.
Umberto EcoAuthors frequently say things they are unaware of; only after they have gotten the reactions of their readers do they discover what they have said
Umberto EcoI am firmly of the opinion that the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant. Indeed, the Macintosh is counterreformist and has been influenced by the methodical path of the Jesuits.... It is catechistic: the essence of revelation is dealt with via simple formulae and sumptuous icons. Everyone has a right to salvation. DOS is Protestant, or even Calvinistic. It allows free interpretation of scripture, demands difficult personal decisions, imposes a subtle hermeneutics upon the user, and takes for granted the idea that all can reach salvation.
Umberto EcoWhen all the archetypes burst out shamelessly, we plumb the depths of Homeric profundity. Two clichรฉs make us laugh but a hundred clichรฉs moves us because we sense dimly that the clichรฉs are talking among themselves, celebrating a reunion. . . . Just as the extreme of pain meets sensual pleasure, and the extreme of perversion borders on mystical energy, so too the extreme of banality allows us to catch a glimpse of the Sublime.
Umberto Eco