Reader-response theory, a type of literary theory that arose in reacti

Reader-response theory, a type of literary theory
that arose in reaction to formalist literary criticism,
has endeavored to shift the emphasis in the
interpretation of literature from the text itself to the
(5) contributions of readers to the meaning of a text.
According to literary critics who endorse reader-
response theory, the literary text alone renders no
meaning; it acquires meaning only when encountered
by individual readers, who always bring varying
(10) presuppositions and ways of reading to bear on the
text, giving rise to the possibility—even probability—
of varying interpretations. This brand of criticism has
met opposition from the formalists, who study the
text alone and argue that reader-response theory can
(15) encourage and even validate fragmented views of a
work, rather than the unified view acquired by
examining only the content of the text. However,
since no theory has a monopoly on divining meaning
from a text, the formalists’ view appears
(20) unnecessarily narrow.

The proponents of formalism argue that their
approach is firmly grounded in rational, objective
principles, while reader-response theory lacks
standards and verges on absolute subjectivity. After
(25) all, these proponents argue, no author can create a
work that is packed with countless meanings. The
meaning of a work of literature, the formalists would
argue, may be obscure and somewhat arcane; yet,
however hidden it may be, the author’s intended
(30) meaning is legible within the work, and it is the
critic’s responsibility to search closely for this
meaning. However, while a literary work is indeed
encoded in various signs and symbols that must be
translated for the work to be understood and
(35) appreciated, it is not a map. Any complicated literary
work will invariably raise more questions than it
answers. What is needed is a method that enables the
critic to discern and make use of the rich stock of
meanings created in encounters between texts and
(40) readers.

Emphasizing the varied presuppositions and
perceptions that readers bring to the interpretations of
a text can uncover hitherto unnoticed dimensions of
the text. In fact, many important works have received
(45) varying interpretations throughout their existence,
suggesting that reader-based interpretations similar to
those described by reader-response theory had been
operating long before the theory’s principles were
articulated. And while in some cases critics’ textual
(50) interpretations based on reader-response theory have
unfairly burdened literature of the past with
contemporary ideologies, legitimate additional
insights and understandings continue to emerge years
after an ostensibly definitive interpretation of a major
(55) work has been articulated. By regarding a reader’s
personal interpretation of literary works as not only
valid but also useful in understanding the works,
reader-response theory legitimizes a wide range of
perspectives on these works and thereby reinforces
(60) the notion of them as fluid and lively forms of
discourse that can continue to support new
interpretations long after their original composition.

1. Which one of the following most accurately describes the author’s attitude toward formalism as expressed in the passage?

(A) scholarly neutrality
(B) grudging respect
(C) thoughtless disregard
(D) cautious ambivalence
(E) reasoned dismissal


2. Which one of the following persons displays an approach that most strongly suggests sympathy with the principles of reader-response theory?

(A) a translator who translates a poem from Spanish to English word for word so that its original meaning is not distorted
(B) a music critic who insists that early music can be truly appreciated only when it is played on original instruments of the period
(C) a reviewer who finds in the works of a novelist certain unifying themes that reveal the novelist’s personal concerns and preoccupations
(D) a folk artist who uses conventional cultural symbols and motifs as a way of conveying commonly understood meanings
(E) a director who sets a play by Shakespeare in nineteenth-century Japan to give a new perspective on the work


3. With which one of the following statements would the author of the passage be most likely to agree?

(A) Any literary theory should be seen ultimately as limiting, since contradictory interpretations of texts are inevitable.
(B) A purpose of a literary theory is to broaden and enhance the understanding that can be gained from a work.
(C) A literary theory should provide valid and strictly objective methods for interpreting texts.
(D) The purpose of a literary theory is to make clear the intended meaning of the author of a work.
(E) Since no literary theory has a monopoly on meaning, a reader should avoid using theories to interpret literature.


4. The passage states that reader-response theory legitimizes which one of the following?

(A) a wide range of perspectives on works of literature
(B) contemporary ideology as a basis for criticism
(C) encoding the meaning of a literary work in signs and symbols
(D) finding the meaning of a work in its text alone
(E) belief that an author’s intended meaning in a work is discoverable


5. Which one of the following most accurately describes the author’s purpose in referring to literature of the past as being “unfairly burdened” (line 51) in some cases?

(A) to reinforce the notion that reader-based interpretations of texts invariably raise more questions than they can answer
(B) to confirm the longevity of interpretations similar to reader-based interpretations of texts
(C) to point out a fundamental flaw that the author believes makes reader-response theory untenable
(D) to concede a minor weakness in readerresponse theory that the author believes is outweighed by its benefits
(E) to suggest that reader-response theory can occasionally encourage fragmented views of a work


6. Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the author’s argument concerning reader-response theory?

(A) Reader-response theory is reflected in interpretations that have been given throughout history and that bring additional insight to literary study.
(B) Reader-response theory legitimizes conflicting interpretations that collectively diminish the understanding of a work.
(C) Reader-response theory fails to provide a unified view of the meaning of a literary work.
(D) Reader-response theory claims that a text cannot have meaning without a reader.
(E) Reader-response theory recognizes meanings in a text that were never intended by the author.


7. The author’s reference to “various signs and symbols” (line 33) functions primarily to

(A) stress the intricacy and complexity of good literature
(B) grant that a reader must be guided by the text to some degree
(C) imply that no theory alone can fully explain a work of literature
(D) illustrate how a literary work differs from a map
(E) show that an inflexible standard of interpretation provides constant accuracy


8. Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the information in the passage?

(A) Formalists believe that responsible critics who focus on the text alone will tend to find the same or similar meanings in a literary work.
(B) Critical approaches similar to those described by formalism had been used to interpret texts long before the theory was articulated as such.
(C) Formalists would not find any meaning in a text whose author did not intend it to have any one particular meaning.
(D) A literary work from the past can rarely be read properly using reader-response theory when the subtleties of the work’s socialhistorical context are not available.
(E) Formalism is much older and has more adherents than reader-response theory.