The Role of the Reader in Literary Interpretation: A Study of Reader-Response Theory

Abstract

Reader-response theory can be analyse by tracing its development and as a revolutionary idea in literary studies. It argues that the theory successfully shifted the focus from authorial tenor and textual meaning to the dynamic, probing process of reading.This research comprises foundational contributions of I.A. Richards and Louise Rosenblatt, the phenomenological model of Wolfgang Iser and the Constance School, Norman N. Holland's subjective psychological approach, and Stanley Fish's socio-institutional framework.Furthermore, it consolidates the crucial perspectives of figures such as Hans Robert Jauss, Roland Barthes, and contemporary cognitive approaches.Here the main theory is discussed, particularly it conclude relativism and neglect of historical context. Ultimately, it concludes that the enduring legacy of reader-response theory is its redefinition of the literary work as an event, which continues to transform how interpretation is understood within the humanities. This research paper views reader-response theory as a central turning point in the field of literary theory, shifting the focus of meaning from the sole authority of the author or text to the active, collaborative contribution of the reader. It traces the development of this theoretical perspective through its key proponents by all the thinkers and narrator above discussed. while situating it within the larger shift from structuralism to poststructuralist thought. key concepts such as aesthetic transaction, subjective reader, interpretive community, and identified subject, clarifying that reading is not a passive reception but an active performance.  Furthermore, it engages with specific criticisms leveled against the theory, particularly concerning the limitations of correlation and the status of the text. Eventually, this study concludes that reader-response theory has indeed democratized literary criticism, centering the act of reading as a legitimate and necessary object of study, and continues to influence educational practice and the digital humanities.