reader-response theory

1. Love Story in a Fishbowl

2. (love song, with two goldfish) (He's a drifter, alwaysfloating around her, hasnowhere else to go. He wishesshe would sing, not much, just the scales;or take some notice,give him the fish eye.)(Bounded by round wallsshe makes fish eyesand kissy lips at him, dartsbehind pebbles, swallowshis charms hook, line and sinker)(He's bowled over. He wouldtake her to the ocean, they couldcount the waves. There,in the submarine silence, they would sharetheir deepest secrets. Dive for pearlslike stars.)(But her love's sincegone belly-up. His heart sinkslike a fish. He drinkslike a stone. Drowns those sorrows,stares emptily through glass.)(the reason, she saidshe wanted)(and he could not give)a lifebeyond the(bowl) By Grace Chua

3. Read the poem What do you think is happening in the poem? (Sequence of events) Which line(s) do you like / not like? Does this call to mind any personal experiences which are similar? Which goldfish do you relate to? In pairs, discuss what do you think the poet wants you to feel? Response to Poem

4. Reader Response Theory Interviewer: “Did you know as a child you wanted to be a writer?” Toni Morrison: “No. I wanted to be a reader.”

5. Readers are not passive, they actively make the meaning they find in literature through their own responses. Readers make meaning by engaging prior experience. Reader Response Theory READER + TEXT = MEANING

6. Reader Response Theory

8. Arguing with author (believability of text)

9. Intertextuality

10. Referencing one aspect of the text with another

11. Interpretive

12. Analysis

13. Questions

14. SummaryType of Responses