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Reader-Response Criticism

Reader response criticism places a strong emphasis on the reader’s role in producing the meaning of a literary work. It is in some sense an opposite approach from that of formalism. Whereas formalists treat meaning as objectively inherent in the text, in reader-response criticism, the text has no meaning until it is read by a reader who creates the meaning.

Unlike the formalistic critical approach, this type of literary criticism insists that works are not universal, that is, that they will not always mean more or less the same thing to readers everywhere. The textbook and the Literary Handbook are helpful resources for more insights on the various literary approaches.

From one of the assigned readings, formally introduce the author and the title of the reading. Students need to use formal/proper Standard American English – in other words, no text type wording, abbreviations slang, or expletives. Responses to Discussions need to contain substance, logic, and insightful/in-depth content.

In three full-pages(MLA FORMAT), explain the merits and flaws of Reader-Response CriticismRequired Assigned Readings:

1) A Pair of Tickets – Amy Tan

2) The Necklace– Guy de Maupassant

3) A Rose for Emily – William Faulkner

4) A Cask of Amontillado – Edgar Allen Poe

5) The Character of George Washington – Thomas Jefferson

http://www.lamission.edu/~diazcov/3140(Link (Links to an external site.) to an external site.)

6) Battle of the Ants- from Chapter 12 of Walden, or Life in the Woods – Henry David Thoreau

http://www.lamission.edu/~diazcov/3141(Link (Links to an external site.) to an external site.)

7) The Prince, Chapter 18 “Concerning the Way In Which Princes Should Keep Faith” –Niccolo Machiavelli

http://www.lamission.edu/~diazcov/3144(Links (Links to an external site.)to an external site.)

8) City of the Dead –VDC http://www.lamission.edu/~diazcov/4628(Link (Links to an external site.) to an external site.)

9) Ode to a Nightingale – John Keats

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44479/ode-to-a-nightingale (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

10) The Highway Man– Alfred Noyes

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171940(Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

11) The Charge of the Light Brigade