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Questions and Answers
What is one of the disadvantages of reader-response criticism as mentioned in the text?
According to the foundational questions of reader-response criticism, what does the reader focus on?
What does a reader's reaction to a text involve according to reader-response criticism?
In reader-response criticism, what may students struggle with when responding to a text?
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Which concept is NOT associated with reader-response criticism?
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How does reader-response criticism differ from a general reaction to a text?
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According to Iser, what does a text produce that the reader must fill in?
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What is the basic assumption of reader-oriented criticism as noted by Charles Bressler?
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In reader-response theory, how do reader-response critics view the role of the reader in the reading process?
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According to reader-response theorists, how do they understand the reading process in terms of Michel Foucault?
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Which concept do reader-response critics embrace according to the text?
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What do reader-response critics focus on instead of literature as a well-wrought urn?
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What is the main idea behind reader-response criticism?
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Who was one of the pioneers in developing reader-response criticism?
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What is one advantage of reader response criticism?
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What did reader response criticism arise as a response to?
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What does reader response criticism focus on?
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Why does reader-response criticism allow for multiple interpretations of a text?
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Study Notes
Reader-Response Criticism
- Reader-response criticism focuses on the importance of the reader and their individual response to the text.
- The reader brings their personal interpretations to the text, rather than examining the meaning created by the author.
Disadvantages of Reader-Response Criticism
- A reader's personal connection to the text may be narrow, ignoring other perspectives and connections to the world or other texts.
- Students may be unclear about how to respond correctly due to uncertainty about the teacher's perspective and reaction to their response.
Foundational Questions of Reader-Response Criticism
- Who is the reader?
- Who is the implied reader?
- What experiences, thoughts, or knowledge does the text evoke?
- What aspects or characters of the text do you identify or disidentify with, and how does this process of identification affect your response to the text?
- What is the difference between your general reaction to (e.g., like or dislike) and reader-oriented interpretation of the text?
Key Concepts
- "Reader + Text = Meaning" (Charles Bressler)
- Texts produce "blanks" or "gaps" that readers must fill in to create meaning (Iser, 1974)
- The reading experience is never politically neutral or uncomplicated, but is influenced by the reader's ideological, social, and historical perspectives.
Affective Fallacy
- Reader-response critics embrace the affective fallacy, believing that a reader's emotional response is important to criticism.
Reader-Response in Summary
- To interpret a text, all possible reactions and perspectives of readers need to be considered.
- The way one reacts to a text determines how the meaning is interpreted.
- Every interpretation is unique because readers bring their own emotions, concerns, knowledge, and life experiences to what they are reading.
Advantages of Reader-Response Criticism
- Allows readers to interpret the text in various ways.
- Allows readers to bring personality traits, memories of the past, and present experiences to the text.
- Forces readers to look past the words of the text and search for deeper meanings.
- Allows teachers to connect with their students on a more personal level.
- Allows readers to see different perspectives of others while reading.
Disadvantages of Reader-Response Criticism
- Provides a skewed outlook on different works of literature.
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Description
Test your understanding of the disadvantages of reader-response criticism, where readers focus on their personal interpretations rather than the intended meaning. Explore how this approach may lead to narrow perspectives and uncertainties in responding to texts.
