Reader - Response Theory: Origin, Features, Major Critics

 

119^th Century traditional Criticism. Focus on the author’s life and personality, social, cultural background.

Saint beuve, taine

1^st Half of 20^th Century New Criticism. Focus on the text and the formal structure of language.

Eliot, ransom, i. a. richards, allen tate

2^nd Half of 20^th Century Criticism. Focus on the reader and his cultural, social background and the contexts.

stanley fish, roland barthes

INTRODUCTION:

Reader-response theory emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to formalist and structuralist approaches to literary criticism. The formalist and structuralist critics emphasized the formal elements of a text or the underlying structures that shape its meaning. A group of critics and thinkers reacted against them and discarded the idea of giving too much importance to text and the author. They believed that meaning comes from the reader’s mind and it depends entirely on the reader’s understanding, culture and contexts.

Hence reader-response theory is a literary theory that emphasizes the role of the reader in interpreting and creating meaning in a text. It suggests that the meaning of a text is not fixed, but rather depends on the reader's subjective response to it.

According to this theory, readers bring their own experiences, beliefs, and values to a text, which shape their interpretation of it. This means that different readers may interpret the same text in different ways, and that the meaning of a text may change over time as readers' perspectives and cultural contexts evolve.

ORIGIN OF READER RESPONSE THEORY:

The theory was influenced by the works of theorists such as Louise Rosenblatt, Wolfgang Iser, and Hans-Robert Jauss.

1.   Louise Rosenblatt's work on literary experience and the role of the reader in interpreting texts was particularly influential in the development of reader-response theory. In her book "Literature as Exploration" (1938), Rosenblatt argued that reading is an active process in which the reader engages with the text and brings his own experiences and perspectives to bear on its interpretation.

2.   Wolfgang Iser emphasized the role of the reader's imagination in creating meaning in a text. In his book "The Implied Reader" (1972), Iser argued that readers construct mental images of the characters, settings, and events in a text, and that these images shape their understanding of the text as a whole.

3.   Hans-Robert Jauss focused on the historical and cultural contexts in which texts are read, arguing that reader’s responses to a text are shaped by the social and cultural norms of their time and place.

Together, these theorists laid the foundation for reader-response theory, which has since been further developed and refined by a wide range of scholars in literary and cultural studies.

FEATURES OF READER RESPONSE THEORY:

Some of the key features of reader-response theory are:

1.   Subjectivity: Reader-response theory emphasizes the subjective nature of reading, arguing that the meaning of a text is not fixed, but rather depends on the reader's interpretation.

2.   Active role of the reader: Reader-response theory emphasizes the active role of the reader in creating meaning in a text. Reader is the subject and the text is the object. The reader is seen as an active participant in the reading process, rather than a passive recipient of meaning.

3.   Contextualization: Reader-response theory emphasizes the importance of contextualizing a text, both in terms of the historical and cultural context in which it was produced, and in terms of the individual reader's own experiences and background.

4.   Diversity of interpretation: Reader-response theory acknowledges that different readers may interpret the same text in different ways, and that the meaning of a text may change over time as readers' perspectives and cultural contexts evolve.

5.   Reaction against traditional literary criticism: Reader-response theory emerged in response to more traditional forms of literary criticism that emphasized the formal elements of a text or the underlying structures that shape its meaning. It challenges these approaches by emphasizing the importance of the reader in creating meaning in a text.

MAJOR CRITICS OF READER RESPONSE THEORY:

Some of the major critics of reader-response theory are:

Stanley Fish, Roland Barthes, Norman Holland, David Bleich, Jane Tompkins, Jonathan Culler

1.  Roland Barthes:

·      Barthes introduced the concept of the "Death of the Author," which refers to the idea that the author's biography and intentions are irrelevant to the meaning of a text. According to Barthes, once a text is released into the world, it takes on a life of its own and is open to multiple interpretations based on the reader's individual perspective and experience.

 

2.  Stanley Fish:

·       "Is There a Text in This Class?" In this book, Fish argues that literary interpretation is not a matter of discovering the meaning of a text, but rather of creating meaning through the act of interpretation.

·       "Surprised by Sin: The Reader in Paradise Lost": In this book, Fish analyzes the different ways that readers have interpreted John Milton's epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ over time. He argues that these interpretations are shaped by the readers' religious and cultural contexts.

3.  David Bleich:

·      In his book "Readings and Feelings: An Introduction to Subjective Criticism," Bleich argues that readers bring their own feelings, beliefs, and experiences to a text, and that these factors shape their interpretation of the text. He believes that subjective responses are an important part of the reading experience and should be taken seriously by literary scholars.

Overall, while reader-response theory has made important contributions to literary criticism.

LIMITATIONS:

While reader-response theory has been influential in literary criticism and has helped to emphasize the role of the reader in creating meaning in a text, it has also faced criticism from some scholars.

·      Some critics have argued that reader-response theory places too much emphasis on the reader's subjectivity and neglects the role of the author and the text itself in shaping meaning.

·      Others have questioned whether reader-response theory can adequately account for the influence of broader social and historical factors on the interpretation of texts.

 Click to watch a video lecture.