Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Session Three: Readers and Reading

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Agenda Jakobson’s model of communication Jakobson’s model of communication Test Test (dis)agreements concerning readers and reading (dis)agreements concerning readers and reading Readers and reading: a map Readers and reading: a map Examples Examples

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Jakobson’s Six Factors of Verbal Communication context Addressermessage addressee contact code

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Jakobson’s Six Functions of Verbal Communication Referential Emotivepoetic conative phaticmetalingual

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology ? (1)

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Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology ? (4)

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Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Agreement on readers and reading Reading is not a passive activity involving receiving meaning and value (the package model is wrong) Reading is not a passive activity involving receiving meaning and value (the package model is wrong) Readers actively produce meaning and value Readers actively produce meaning and value There is no single correct reading of the meaning and value of a text There is no single correct reading of the meaning and value of a text

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Disagreement on readers and reading What aspects influence readers and reading? What aspects influence readers and reading? To what degree is reading influenced by the text? Do texts constrain and control the construction of meaning and value? To what degree is reading influenced by the text? Do texts constrain and control the construction of meaning and value? To what degree is reading influenced by the reader? Is the construction of meaning and value completely subjective? To what degree is reading influenced by the reader? Is the construction of meaning and value completely subjective?

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Readers and reading: a map ”Objective””intersubjective” ”subjective” Iser: gaps,Fish: interpretiveBleich, Indeterminacy,communitiesHolland: Implied readershared reading strategies projection, assumptionsidentity theme Brooks: plotting race Hermeneuticsclass Phenemenologygender sexualityability

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Thomas Hardy, ”On the Western Circuit” Mrs Harnham then felt a man’s hand clasping her fingers, and from the look of consciousness on the young fellows face she knew the hand to be his: she also knew that from the position of the girl he had no other thought than that the imprissoned hand was Anna’s. Mrs Harnham then felt a man’s hand clasping her fingers, and from the look of consciousness on the young fellows face she knew the hand to be his: she also knew that from the position of the girl he had no other thought than that the imprissoned hand was Anna’s.

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Readers and reading Reading is a process, a temporal activity Reading is a process, a temporal activity We process bit by bit not everything at once We process bit by bit not everything at once We fill gaps We fill gaps Reading involves looking backwards (retrospection) Reading involves looking backwards (retrospection) Reading involves looking forwards (anticipation) Reading involves looking forwards (anticipation) We reread – we go over what we read more than once We reread – we go over what we read more than once

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Thomas Hardy, ”On the Western Circuit” The letter moved Raye considerably when it reached him. The intelligence itself had affected him less than her unexpected manner of treating him in relation to it. The absence of any word of reproach, the devotion to his interests, the self-sacrifice apparent in every line, all made up a nobility of character that he had never dreamt of finding in womankind. The letter moved Raye considerably when it reached him. The intelligence itself had affected him less than her unexpected manner of treating him in relation to it. The absence of any word of reproach, the devotion to his interests, the self-sacrifice apparent in every line, all made up a nobility of character that he had never dreamt of finding in womankind.

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology Readers and reading Reading involves being manipulated or fooled unsuspectingly Reading involves being manipulated or fooled unsuspectingly Reading involves a response of activating your own emotions, norms, and ideas Reading involves a response of activating your own emotions, norms, and ideas Reading involves imagining (mistakingly idealising) a sender Reading involves imagining (mistakingly idealising) a sender Naive vs. sophisticated readings and readers Naive vs. sophisticated readings and readers Reading involves thinking about similarities and differences between Raye and us – the readers. Reading involves thinking about similarities and differences between Raye and us – the readers. We read allegorically – the passage is about reading We read allegorically – the passage is about reading

Jens Kirk, Dept. of Languages and Culture Literary Theory and Methodology James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ONCE upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo.... ONCE upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo....