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Reader Response Theory

Reader Response Theory. Caroline Wolfe Lauren Kingston Melanie Flood. Definition. A text has no meaning until it is read People interpret texts differently Focuses on the author and the content of the work. Questions. What are the reoccurring themes used in this piece of text?

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Reader Response Theory

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  1. Reader Response Theory Caroline Wolfe Lauren Kingston Melanie Flood

  2. Definition • A text has no meaning until it is read • People interpret texts differently • Focuses on the author and the content of the work

  3. Questions • What are the reoccurring themes used in this piece of text? • Is there a pattern used in the author’s writing to support my theory about a particular symbol or theme? • Does the symbol re-occur steadily throughout the text? Is it used more heavily in the beginning? The end? Sporadically?

  4. Different Types • Implied Reader – makes assumptions based off of what is in the text • Actual Reader – connects the text to their own life

  5. Advantages • Causes you to think while reading • Problem-Posing • Helps you to further understand the text • The theory recognizes that everyone has different interpretations of a text • Forces the reader to make connections to his or her own life and experiences • Makes students active learners • Students create their own opinions and meanings about the text rather than relying on a teacher to give it to them • Students read more and make richer personal connections • Makes students more tolerant of interpretations other than their own

  6. Disadvantages • Can causes interpretation to become too subjective • Students may not be able to recognize that not every response is valid or appropriate • Students can “run wild” and not say true to the subject matter of the text

  7. Applying This Information • Paying attention to the symbols helps you to better understand the text • Makes you a better fiction writer

  8. Examples • A Farewell to Arms • Their Eyes Were Watching God

  9. Works Cited "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature - Theory Overview." Teacher Professional Development and Teacher Resources by Annenberg Media. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <http://www.learner.org/workshops/hslit/session1/index.html>. • Hurston, Zora N. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper Perennial, 1937. Print. • "Reader response theory: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <http://www.answers.com/topic/reader-response-theory>. • "Reader-response criticism -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader-response_criticism>. • "Reader-Response Criticism." New York College | The College of New Rochelle. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/readercrit.html>. • "What is Reader Response Criticism?" WiseGEEK: clear answers for common questions. Web. 23 Sept. 2009. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-reader-response-criticism.htm>. • Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. • New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929. Print.

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