Reader Response theory

Reader Response theory highlights the role of the reader: their values, experiences, context are all central to deriving "meaning" from a text. It emphasizes that meaning is not solely determined by the author or the text itself but is co-constructed between the reader and the text in a dynamic and subjective manner. 

Reader Response theory falls neatly into the Area of Exploration: Readers, Writers and Texts: how do readers derive meaning from a text? What personal experiences do they draw upon? How do they fill the gaps in a text with their own values, beliefs and attitudes. This could be seen when students study the literary work of, say, Margaret Atwood: how does students' personal experience of gender affect their understanding of Atwood's messaging about patriarchy and power?

• In what way does this approach to texts emphasize the constructed and external nature of meaning, contrasting with the intrinsic and fixed understanding of meaning in a text?

• How does this approach enable us to track the evolving interpretations of texts by readers throughout time?

• What elements or contributions does a reader bring when engaging with a text?