The document discusses reader response theory, which considers how readers interpret texts based on their own experiences and perspectives. It emerged in the 1970s with critics like Stanley Fish who argued that the reader plays an active role in deriving meaning, rather than passively receiving the author's intended meaning. Reader response can be seen when listening to songs, as individuals relate lyrics to their own lives differently. The document provides background on the founders of reader response theory and how it views the reader's role in interpreting literature.