READER-RESPONSE AND RECEPTION THEORY ENG 106 REPORT PDF

I. Introduction Reader-response theory posits that the meaning of a text is not inherent in the text Reader-Response i...

I. Introduction Reader-response theory posits that the meaning of a text is not inherent in the text Reader-Response itself but is constructed through the interaction between the reader and the text.. and Reception Reception theory, associated with Hans Robert Jauss, introduces the idea of the THEORY "horizon of expectations", which refers to the cultural and historical framework through which readers understand and judge texts. Historical Background Historical Background Classical influences (Plato, Aristotle). Romantic, feminist, and Marxist contributions to Plato saw poetry as appealing to our lower natures, emphasizing the reader’s perspective. disposing us toward irrational behavior and distracting Romantic theories stressed the powerful emotional us from the rational pursuit of truth. impact of poetry on the reader and various later 19th Aristotle made the response of the audience an century theories such as symbolism and impressionism integral component of his famous definition of a properly structured tragedy : such a tragedy must stressed the reader’s subjective response to inspire the purgative emotions of fear and pity in the literature and art. audience. Feminism and Marxism acknowledged that literature, necessarily operating within certain social structures of class and gender, is always oriented toward certain Romantic, feminist, and Marxist contributions kinds of audiences, in both aesthetic and economic to emphasizing the reader’s perspective. terms. Reaction to Formalism/New Critcism Key Theories and Concepts A. Contrast with Formalism 1 Phenomenology Formalist approaches focused on the text as an autonomous object. 2 Reception Theory B. Shift Towards the Reader’s Subjectivity 3 The Role of the Reader Reader-response theory challenged formalist ideas, arguing that the 4 Interpretive Communities reader’s experience is central to creating meaning. Phenomenology Phenomenology Edmund Husserl: Emphasized the importance of consciousness in Martin Heidegger: shaping our perception of reality. His Heidegger, Husserl’s student, moved philosophical ideas lay the groundwork for later beyond Husserl’s ideas with his thinkers who emphasized the active role of the reader in interpreting texts. concept of Daesin (Being-time) Intentionality: stressing that humans project meaning Husserl introduced the concept of onto the world and that our thoughts intentionality, which means that consciousness are historical and contextual. is always directed toward something (e.g., an object, a text). Reception Theory: The Role of the Reader Horizon of Expectations: Implied Reader: Introduced the idea that readers’ Wolfgang Iser based on phenomenology, interpretations of texts are influenced arguing that texts invite the reader to by the historical and cultural norms of participate actively in the creation of their time. meaning by filling in gaps left by the Historical Evolution: author. Texts are reinterpreted through time Reading as a Creative Process: as cultural values change, showing how Meaning is not fixed but unfolds as the meaning is never static but always reader interacts with and interprets the evolving. text. Interpretive Communities Major Concepts of Reader- Affective Stylistics: Response and ReceptionTheory Stanley Fish argued that meaning emerges A. Interaction Between Reader and Text sentence by sentence as readers move Readers actively engage with texts, creating through the text, constantly adjusting their meaning through their interpretations. expectations and interpretations. B. Subjectivity of Reading Experience Interpretive Communities: Each reader’s background (cultural, Readers are part of interpretive historical, personal) shapes their reading. communities, groups that share common C. Intersubjectivity ways of interpreting texts. Meaning is not Shared interpretations arise from common universal but depends on these shared cultural or interpretive frameworks. strategies. Applications of Reader-Response Criticisms of Reader-Response and and Reception Theory Reception Theory A. Influence on Feminist, Postcolonial, and Psychoanalytic Criticism A. Potential for Relativism Impact on feminist, post colonial and If interpretation is too personal, can psychoanalytic criticism there be a universal understanding of Various groups, like feminist or post colonial a text? readers, interpret text through their own lenses B. Responses to Criticism B. The Role of Interpretive Communities in Shaping Meanings Interpretive communities help Readers within the same group such as community balance subjective interpretations by social circle, shape and transform the text's preventing excessive relativism meaning. Conclusion A. The Importance of Reader-Response Theory in Modern Criticism Shift from focusing on the text itself to focusing on how readers interpret it. Readers-response theory remains influential in current literary criticism, shaping how texts are analyzed. Modern approaches now consider the individual QnA Session perspectives, cultural contexts, and different backgrounds affect the way texts are perceived. Thank You Presented by: Alisa Fatma Osop Hassan Potri Omar Norayna Manisan Biro