Intro to Reader Response Criticism

Reader Response Criticism is analysis based on the idea that reading is a creative act, just as much as writing is.  In this theory, a reader's response is just as important, if not more important, than the text itself.  A reader response theorist will examine not just how readers (or a particular reader, either hypothetical or actual) react to texts, but also how they intrepet or assign meaning to certain elements of a text.  The process of making meaning from a text is the central concern of this kind of theorist.

Overview

Reader Response Criticism: Barbara McManus, College of New Rochelle

Definition of Reader-Response Criticism, Ross Murfin and Supriya M. Ray
Reader-Response Criticism, Michael Delahoyde, Washington State University