Formerly: The Text Defines the Text
Every event, word, phrase, and symbol can (and is often intended to) be used to contextualize every recurrence of it.
When Doreah tells the story that the moon is a dragon egg, I’m justified in revisiting every part of the story that has a “moon” in it and plugging in “dragon egg” in place of it to see what revelations I might find. I’m not only justified in doing that, but I would be neglectful not to try it.
So that’s what using the text to define the text means. Unless there is some precedent in the books that demonstrates that some leap in logic or sleight of hand is acceptable, then I shouldn’t take the leap or make the sleight.
Likewise, when some precedent is established, I should look for opportunities to take the leap or make the sleight.
The cool thing about The Text Defines the Text is that it is the mechanism by which many of the other things in Theory are discovered/proven. It’s the golden rule!
Here is some other Theory stuff that is essentially The Text Defines the Text:
Consequence Defines Foreshadowing
Reliable Narration Defines Unreliable Narration
There is Value in Metaphor
All Prophecies Come True
Relativity
Apples and Dragons 