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…
Patrice Flowers Professor Arzola English 1302 Friday, February 22, 2013 Critical Analysis of Nora Ephron “The Boston Photographs” Nora Ephron author of “The Boston Photographs” reaches out to her readers by touching their emotions by some gripping photographs. She claims “Photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism,” this theory is proven in her writing. In Ephron essay, she discusses the photographs that Stanley Foreman took of an attempted rescue that turned to a devastating…
Readers response The Mortal Immortal was quite different than past assigned readings for several reasons. First, it was a short story rather than a long-winded, descriptive novel. This appealed to me because that, in itself, shows a turn to the modern side of literature. Gone are the days of praising the sublime and merely hinting at characters emotions. More presently, audiences want to be quickly brought into the action, and to experience a high level of energy and enjoyment throughout the entire…
Pride and Prejudice Reader Response To me personally I found this book to be beneficial in understanding the ways of society throughout time. Within Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, Bingley and Jane's relationship proves that social pressures essentially inhibit people from fulfilling their true identities, and their true desires. Whether it manifests itself in the pressure to marry for security and convenience, or the pressure to attain affluence and culture, the social norm erases individual…
furthermore persuading his readers that under the right circumstances, critical choices have to be made. His oppressive descriptions of George’s health issues successfully grasp reader’s attention, while forcing them to visualize and connect to the sorrows captured. Moreover, these descriptions help readers in overcoming personal struggles by bringing forth the reality of these situations. Philbert ensnares the unimaginable while releasing the truth of reality. Readers who have not experienced such…
attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as ice.” Wealth, fame, and love doesn’t give real happiness; one should choose truth to get peace in life. In the book Into The Wild, author John Krakauer tells the story about Chris McCandless, who chose truth instead of leisure. Despite a series of poor decisions which ultimately led to his death, Chris McCandless strove to live to a higher principle, embracing transcendental…
As a society we will dictate what's right from wrong for the past centuries, today we are more divided than ever in history. In the movie directed by Sean Penn, Into The Wild is an adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s original book Into The Wild where Chris Mccandless, the protagonist had his future secured after graduating Emory University but decided to donate all his money to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska. I cannot agree with People like Chris, they make me believe that the human being can be selfish…
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…
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…
Reader Response In the short story Bluebeard, there is a man who is married to an average house wife. The main part of this story is how Bluebeard leaves his house for a week or so for some reason. This results in leaving his wife all alone in Bluebeards house, where his wife has not seen a whole lot of it. Bluebeard gave her a key and said there is a secret closet in the house that you are permitted from. So the wife goes on searching and does not think about that one closet. However, her curiosity…