English 2F - Children's Literature
Module 9: Reader Response Theory and Modern Fantasy
Reader response theory is an approach to a text that assumes that the text has no real meaning until the reader reads it and assigns meaning to it. Because readers are so diverse, and each has a different way of reading and interpreting, it could be said that a text has as many meanings as it has readers. It could be interpreted in an infinite number of ways, depending on who is doing the reading. |
 |
 |
As we've discussed, a reader can even assign different meanings to a text upon different readings. Many of you have had this experience if you've re-read a book from childhood in this class; the second time reading through, as an adult, you have a totally different point of view than you did when you read it for the first time as a child. |
| Reader Response Resources Read the following articles for a more in-depth look at what reader response theory is, and how it works. Vandergrift's Reader Response Criticism and Resources |
|
Think about how you might apply the principles discussed in these articles to the novel we are reading and discussing right now, The Giver. To engage in reader response analysis, you would keep track of your thoughts and reactions as you read. How did the text affect you? What in your background, your culture or your experience influenced your reaction to the text? What in the text reminded you of events or people from your own life? |
|
Resources on The Giver |
|
Dystopia The Giver by Lois Lowry is an example of a dystopian novel. Read the following link from the BBC to learn more about dystopian novels, and why and how we read them. While you're at it, check out the Cliff's Notes version. The last two paragraphs are specifically about The Giver, and it will provide you with a framework for reading. What are Utopias and Dystopias? As you read The Giver, think about the overarching themes it conjures up, and the larger questions it asks of the reader. Take note of your reaction to the way events and characters are portrayed, and ask yourself where that reaction is coming from. How and why might another reader react differently from you? |
|
Controversy The Giver is among the most widely banned and challenged books in this country. (see ALA's top 100 list for 1990-2000). Read more about the controversy surrounding this book: Lois Lowry's Newbery Winning Giver Still Ignites Debate Book Challenges Drop, but Librarians, Writers Remain Wary How Schools Restrict the Reading of Young People Think about what might prompt a person or a group to try to ban or challenge a book like this. Why do they find it so objectionable? We will take up this question, and others, in the discussions about the book. |
|
Lowry Speaks As you ponder your own response to the book, and the potential responses of other readers, read the following links to access Lowry's own thoughts on the writing of the book. |
|
| back to module checklist | back to assignment schedule |