6th grade is reading for plot. It's able to read the story and understand that the hobbits brought the ring to Mordor, and Aragorn fought in Gondor.

Anything about symbols, themed, subtext, unreliable narrators all comes later.

You hit the nail on the head. Literacy is about more than just sounding out words - understanding the intended message is equally important.

I wish I could be surprised, but I’ve been on internet forums long enough that it’s undeniable. It’s like understanding subtext (and even overt context) is a lost art. Making a short post and expecting readers to correctly “connect the dots” practically invites commenters to misinterpret things. So the choice is either “over-explain and risk making a super long post,” or “come back again and again when someone inevitably argues something you didn’t intend.” It’s so frustrating.