Kevin's Watch

I am writing a thesis based on using this theory to critique 'The Raven', by Edgar Allen Poe. Anyone know where to start? If you have any ideas, lemme know.

I'm assuming, from the way you asked the question that this is an introductory-level thing, since there are 3 major divisions in reader response, and they often don't play well together...but you may be able to ignore that.

The basic idea is that the meaning of the work is an act done by the reader, it is made by interpreting, the text is the material. [That is a gross over-simplification].

I don't want to go on forever, but take the Frost line: "I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference."

The basic process is:
What does this mean?
1) Go your own way, it's tougher but wonderful.
2) If most people take the same path, there is probably a good reason for it.
[among other things...these two work as example, cuz it's easy to see he doesn't tell you what the difference was, whether it was good or bad.]

Then:
What is it about me [experiences, knowledge, reading techniques, etc] that built that meaning in relation to the line?
For 1) it might be "I'm edgy, I'm a rebel, I'm curious, only challenges make life worthwhile" etc.
For 2) maybe "tradition matters, wiser heads have been here, obviously the used road is the important/successful one, or people wouldn't take it."
Again, a gross over-simplification. Some R-R would say that the "I" controls. Some that a sort of "us" ["I" matter, but "we" have some control of how we read...we can set aside some of ourselves, walk in other shoes, use other reading methods, etc.] Some that "the reader" response is caused and limited by the text itself. [need I say gross over-simplification again?].
I hope that helps, I fear it might just confuse the issue.

Yeah, I'd say first decide what kind of reader response criticism you want to do. It would be easiest to do as Vraith explained and point out the parts that were significant to you and explain the parts of you that make it significant (would especially try to focus on things that bring up some kind of common theme). The good thing is that there are no wrong reader responses, only bad ones.

I chose reader response for my 303 midterm on Gatsby. Growing up with domestic violence in the home, I focused on Tom's abuse of Daisy and Daisy's willingness to stay with Tom under those circumstances. *shrug*

Or you could go the Interpretive Communities route (Stanley Fish), and approach it from a particular angle. For instance, what would the mostly Whig Party readers have made of such a work that appeared in their publication? That gets into historical criticism, but reader response usually gets muddied somewhere - gender, post-colonial, African-American, etc.

I don't know anything about it, but it's nice to see you around finally Barad. Only when you need something huh?

--A