Reader-response Criticism

Reader-response Criticism

Reader-oriented approach developed in the 1960s as a reaction to the dominance of text-oriented approach, such as the new criticism. Reader-oriented approach is called the reception theory, reader response, or aesthetic response. Reader-response criticism does not focus on the story of the world in the text, but on the reader of the text itself, the reading experience is being experienced interpreter or reader as a personal response to the text that he/she is reading.

Reader-response criticism is often also known as the theory of literary reception, this theory is focusing on the relations between literary texts and the readers itself. This theory also becomes the conceptual underpinnings of literary criticism or research literature that specifically want to see the relations between readers and literary texts. This literary criticism is based on reader response criticism.

This criticism assumes that different people's knowledge who read a literary text, the reader would interpret literary works differently, it is depends on the perspective of where he/she sees and the extent to which the levels of the reader's knowledge in understanding the text of literary works. Literary work there, if it could persuade the reader, whether it is the actions that are active, as well as a rating to the text of the work.

However, Adi (2011: 174-184) distinguishes term reader-response criticism with the reception approach. Reader-response criticism focuses on the formation of the aesthetic in a text, while the reception approach more focused on impacts arising, whether the readers are happy, and the background of the reader. In other words, the reception approach is a reader judgment.

However, the approach is essentially reader response and reception equally refers the reader's involvement in building a meaning to a text. Reader-response criticism has a broader scope than the reception approach because it is not only talking about the reception of the readers, but also involves the interpretation of the reader.

Two figures who plays stressed the role of the reader in the research literature as responders is Hans Robert Jausz and Wolfrang Iser, two figures who proclaim approach literary reception in the 60s. However, this approach began to gain widespread attention in the late 70s. Jausz use the term rezeptionaesthetic. Iser says that core readings every literary work is the interaction between the structure and the recipient.

Reader-response criticism will necessarily be different from each other. The differences in the response of the reader that is called by Hans-Robert Jauss as the expectation horizon of the reader. Expectations horizon is determined by:

1.      General norms in the text

2.      Knowledge and experience in the texts that have been read before; and

3.      The contradiction between fiction and reality.

Wolfgang Iser

Wolfgang Iser introduced the concept of the effect, which is the way a work of directing the reader's reaction to the text. In a literary work, there is a gap between the text and the reader. Therein, a vacancy occurs or the open which is then filled by the reader. Reader responses to fill the open space are different from each other.

Norman Holland

Norman Holland's thought is beginning his studies to literature with the psychoanalysis approach. Holland also discussed about the process of reading. Holland argues that every reader to enter his fantasy in the text and modify it with defense mechanisms. Holland believes that the motive for the reader give influence strongly to the way how they read. Holland is also called the method of transactive analysis methods because he believes that the process of reading includes the transaction between the reader and the original text.