Reader-response criticism is a school of literary theory that focuses on the reader (or "audience") and their experience of a literary work‚ in contrast to other schools and theories that focus attention primarily on the author or the content and form of the work. Although literary theory has long paid some attention to the reader’s role in creating the meaning and experience of a literary work‚ modern reader-response criticism began in the 1960s and ’70s‚ particularly in America and Germany‚ in
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Reader Response Theory - can be traced back to Aristotle and Plato - literature’s effect on the reader - sources in the writings of the French structuralists (who stress the role of the perceiver as a maker of reality) - reader criticism became recognized as a distinct critical movement only in the 1970s - less a unified critical school than a vague collection of disparate critics with a common point of departure - “Reader Theory” “audience theory” neutral terms
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Readers have been responding to what they have read and experienced since the dawn of literature. For example‚ we have Plate and Aristotle who were concerned about audience responses and how plays generated pity and fear on them. Still‚ the audience or readers were passive. After the appearance of reader response theory‚ readers are activated. They involve themselves to elaborate the text‚ fill in the gaps and enact their experiences with the text. Most reader response critics can be divided into
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Hatchet Reader Response 1. Paulsen‚ Gary. Hatchet. New York: Puffin Books‚ 1987. Character: Brian Robeson 2. Thirteen year old Brian Robeson is traveling on a small aircraft traveling to Canada when the pilot has a sudden heart attack leaving Brian in control of the plane. Brian brings the air plane to a crashing landing where he miraculously survives while the pilot has perished. Brian is faced with countless problems involving human survival‚ extreme isolation‚ and a dangerous environment
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Catch-22 The Reader’s Response By: John O’dea I have chosen a reader response criticism for Catch-22‚ because I believe it gives me the freedom to interpret‚ and explore the book on the freest and most personal grounds. It gives me the opportunity to look inward and contemplate the thought provoking scenes occurrences in Catch-22 on my own terms‚ and then allows me to relate these findings to fellow peers and readers. A reader response criticism complies with my beliefs of Literature‚ in
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Criticism VS Reader-Response Criticism What is more accurate‚ new criticism or reader response criticism? The answer is neither‚ seeing as both styles of critic views and analyzes the topic at hand and gives feedback. Though both styles offer feedback‚ they are different forms of feedback entirely. New criticism involves focusing on the material at hand‚ and not what it was meant to be perceived as‚ to judge the topic by every measurable feature possible. Reader response criticism is when a reader or a
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Readers Reflection John Hamilton English 125 Introduction to Literature Instructor Clinton Edwards April 21‚ 2014 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Readers Reflection Walter Mitty‚ who in this story‚ is an imaginary character however‚ his character does remind me of myself and many other individuals that I know. The main focus of the story is Walter ’s imaginary behavior or day-dreaming. Walter tends to get distracted from the real world and
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inter-racial theme and the setting of the story. The analytical approach that I choose to evaluate this story would be a reader- response approach. “Reader-response criticism encompasses various approaches to literature that explore and seek to explain the diversity (and often divergence) of readers ’ responses to literary works.” (Bedford‚ 1998). The reader- response approach is best described as connecting with a piece of work‚ and finding a personal or creative way to engage with the
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Ceremony: A Readers Response Staci Parker Southern New Hampshire University Professor Lorianne DiSabato Because this is a short paper focusing on your application of a particular theory‚ you do not need to incorporate any outside research into your argument; you should‚ however‚ use this assignment as a stepping-stone toward your literary analysis paper by offering an abbreviated version of your (tentative) thesis statement and argument. “They don’t understand. We know these hills‚ and we
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Position Paper: Reader-response I read a book the other day. It was a wonderful book called The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. I really enjoyed it; it gives the background information on the creation of Middle Earth. In it‚ Tolkien tells us of Illúvatar‚ Eä‚ the Valar and the birth of Elves‚ Dwarves and Men. But‚ you know‚ I don’t think it has anything at all to do with Elves‚ Dwarves‚ Men and some god named Illúvatar. I think Tolkien really wanted to write a Biblical allegory and a critique
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