detials..or tall tales?

Today in class we were lectured on Nabokov's attention to detail and his distaste for large/symbolic concept analyzations. I thought the whole reason we were "close reading", looking at these details, was to lead us  to  large general symbolic interpretations over the material presented. Is then starting with the minor details and working our way up to larger symbolic interpretations given from the cues of the lit. not counter productive? If we can just come to these conclusions first hand, and then if neccacary go back and provide evidence from the details what is the difference?....not trying to be difficult just trying to make sense of it all.