UNDERSTANDING READER RESPONSE THEORY Mrs. Leach AP Literature Chapel Hill High School

WHAT IS LITERATURE? Consider the following in your definition: scope, content, composition, audience, and genre.

THE CONCISE OXFORD DICTIONARY SAYS LITERATURE IS “WRITINGS WHOSE VALUE LIES IN THE BEAUTY OF FORM OR EMOTIONAL EFFECT.” LITERATURE IS FIRST AND FOREMOST MANKIND’S ENTIRE BODY OF WRITING

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF LITERATURE! YOU READING

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. TURN IN THE ORANGE BOOK TO THE READER RESPONSE SECTION.

*EXPERIENCES *ATTITUDES *EXPECTATIONS *KNOWLEDGE *CULTURE What do you bring as the reader?

In AP Language, you learned about the RHETORICAL TRIANGLE. This year, our focus will be on the READER’S TRIANGLE. The Writer’s Triangle SPEAKER AUDIENCESUBJECT LAST YEAR

THE READER’S TRIANGLE The Reader’s Triangle EVENT READER TEXT THIS YEAR

TEXT Includes: cues, genre, aims

READER Includes: Expectations, Experience, and Attitude

EVENT Includes: Interpretation, Meaning, Appreciation, and Application