1. Reader Response Theory David, Griffin, Zoe

2. Reader Response Theory Focus on the reader Reactions of individual groups Different backgrounds lead to different interpretations What they get out of a text ^^^^ Will be different from what he gets out of that same text 

3. Readers Are Influenced By… Language Level of education Gender Personal experiences Previous texts Region Socioeconomic position Religion

4. A Reader Response Theorist Might Ask: How could two or more separate groups of people interpret the same text? If they interpret it differently, what aspects of their backgrounds led them to do so? How does one person interpret a text? How will their background lead them to this conclusion?

5. Advantages Supplies the “why” and “how” (Why do you think this? How did you get here?) Understand “absurd” or nonsequentialthinking Supplies us with many interpretations

6. Disadvantages No focus on content Style is lost Outlandish inferences Who do we trust? Is his interpretation more important  Than his? 

7. Examples From Previous Classes Utopian Society APUSH essays English (Socratic Seminars) Art classes

8. Examples In Real Life INVALID EXAMPLES: Lord of the Flies David Chapman Christine O’Donnell • VALID EXAMPLES: • Twilight

9. How Do I Interpret the Text Like a Reader Response Theorist? STEP ONE: Read the text. STEP TWO: Interpret the text. STEP THREE: Quote the text. STEP FOUR: Kill John Lennon