Introduction: “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
“Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst was first published in 1992 in the Publishing Research Quarterly. This article holds significant importance in literature and literary theory as it delves into the complexities of reader response and its impact on understanding meaning in literature. Probst, a renowned English educator and author, explores the dynamic interplay between the reader’s personal experiences, biases, and the text itself, demonstrating how subjective interpretations can shape our understanding of literary works. His insights have contributed to a more nuanced and inclusive approach to literary analysis, recognizing the reader’s active role in creating meaning.
Summary of “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
- Reconceiving Literary Experience
- Focus on the Transaction Between Reader and Text: Probst emphasizes Louise Rosenblatt’s theory, which argues that literature exists not within the text itself, but in the interaction between the reader and the text. This “transaction” produces the literary experience.
- Text as Evocative, Not Prescriptive: The text does not dictate meaning but evokes personal responses, memories, and associations in the reader, resulting in an individualized experience of the text. “Meaning…is not resident in the text…it lies in the mind of the reader.”
2. Relinquishing Old Goals and Embracing Uncertainty
- Challenge of Abandoning Uniformity in Interpretation: Teachers are urged to abandon the pursuit of a single correct interpretation. Instead, they should acknowledge that meaning is variable and differs from reader to reader, creating pedagogical challenges as “meaning is shaped through the complex act of reading.”
- Accepting the Variability of Meaning: The teacher must become comfortable with the idea that each reader will derive unique meanings from the same text. This can feel like “building on shifting sands” since there’s no definitive answer or meaning.
3. Respecting the Unique Reader
- Valuing Individual Interpretations: The literary experience is personal, and each student’s interpretation, shaped by their own history, associations, and emotional state, must be respected. “The teacher…is in no position to do the students’ reading for them.”
- Rejecting the Privilege of One Reading: Probst cautions against privileging the teacher’s interpretation over students’ responses. Instead, students should be encouraged to create their own meaning, making literature a personal and reflective experience.
4. Pursuing Individual Responses
- Discussion and Exploration of Meaning: Probst suggests engaging students in reflective discussions about their personal experiences with the text, encouraging them to relate literature to their own lives. This mirrors Rosenblatt’s emphasis on the personal nature of reading, where “students must be invited to create the texts, to bring them to bear upon their own history.”
- Literature as an Invitation to Dialogue: Rather than teaching literature as a static set of meanings to be extracted, teachers should foster an environment where students can question, explore, and form tentative conclusions about texts, holding them open for revision as new ideas arise.
5. Redefining Curriculum and Text Selection
- Choosing Texts for Reader Engagement: Probst advocates for selecting texts that are appropriate for students’ maturity and capable of evoking a meaningful response. This requires reconsidering the literary canon and choosing works that align with students’ developmental stages and personal concerns. “If we considered…its potential for awakening response,” more accessible works might replace traditional texts like Paradise Lost.
- Adolescent Development and Literary Themes: He suggests correlating adolescent concerns with major literary themes, creating a curriculum that engages students with literature through themes that resonate with their experiences, such as love, autonomy, and identity.
6. Reshaping Instructional Practices
- Moving Beyond Historical and Genre-Based Organization: Probst criticizes the traditional curriculum, which often emphasizes historical or genre-based structures, arguing that such methods ignore the transactional nature of reading. Instead, he encourages organizing curricula in ways that prioritize students’ interactions with texts over literary history or genre conventions.
Literary Terms/Concepts in “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
| Term/Concept | Definition | Relevance in the Text |
| Reader-Response Theory | A literary theory that focuses on the reader’s experience of a text, emphasizing the interaction between reader and text. | Central to Probst’s argument about how meaning is created through the reader’s engagement. |
| Aesthetic Response | The reader’s emotional or intellectual response to a text, as discussed by Wolfgang Iser. | Emphasizes how medical students relate personally and phenomenologically to literature. |
| Vicarious Experience | Reading literature allows one to experience situations indirectly, through the perspectives and emotions of characters. | Highlighted as a justification for using literature in medical education. |
| Phenomenology | A philosophical approach that focuses on individual consciousness and the lived experience. | Applied to reader engagement with texts, stressing personal emotional involvement. |
| Interpretive Literary Skills | Skills involved in critically analyzing a text, including its structure, themes, and language. | The tension between teaching these skills and encouraging reflexivity in medical students. |
| Imaginative Literature | Fictional or creative writing that evokes emotional and reflective responses from readers. | Used in medical settings to provoke reflection on ethical and existential issues. |
| Empirical Approach | A method of analysis based on observation and experience rather than theory or pure logic. | Critiqued when used exclusively, as it may limit personal engagement with the text. |
| Indeterminacy | The idea that a text contains gaps that must be filled in by the reader’s imagination and personal interpretation. | Important in reader-response theory to encourage individual meaning-making. |
| Dialectic of Text and Reader | The dynamic interaction between a text and its reader that leads to the creation of meaning. | Central to Probst’s thesis, highlighting that meaning arises through this interaction. |
Contribution of “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst to Literary Theory/Theories
1. Challenge to New Criticism
- Contribution: Probst’s work critiques New Criticism, a literary theory that dominated much of 20th-century literary studies, which emphasized the objective meaning of the text, independent of the reader’s engagement. New Criticism advocates for a close reading of the text, where meaning is seen as residing within the text itself, not influenced by the reader’s subjectivity.
- Reference: The article reflects on the earlier dominance of New Criticism in medical humanities, where literature was taught with a focus on identifying “Truths embedded in the text itself” (p. 45). Probst shifts the focus from text-centered analysis to reader-centered meaning-making, challenging the idea that texts possess a fixed meaning that can be uncovered by literary analysis alone.
2. Development of Reader-Response Theory
- Contribution: Probst is a strong advocate for Reader-Response Theory, which emphasizes that the meaning of a text is co-created by the reader and the text. The theory acknowledges that readers bring their own experiences, beliefs, and emotions to the act of reading, which influences their interpretation of the text.
- Reference: The article outlines how the reader’s personal and phenomenological engagement with a text is essential for true literary inquiry. It stresses that the interaction between the reader and the text creates a dynamic process of meaning-making (p. 48). Probst draws from Wolfgang Iser, who argued that the text only takes on meaning when it is read, and that the reader’s actions in responding to the text are as important as the text itself (p. 48).
3. Emphasis on Reflexivity in Reading
- Contribution: Probst’s work introduces the concept of reflexivity into literary studies, particularly in medical humanities. He argues that texts should not only be analyzed for their structural or thematic elements but should also provoke readers to reflect on their own values, assumptions, and life experiences. This makes reading a transformative and ethical act, not just an academic exercise.
- Reference: The article mentions that Probst, drawing on Robert Coles, views imaginative literature in medical settings as a tool for ethical reflection. He highlights the importance of students examining their own lives and assumptions through their engagement with literature, not just learning about the “skills of literary analysis” (p. 47).
4. Introduction of Aesthetic and Artistic Dimensions in Reading
- Contribution: Probst’s work contributes to the expansion of aesthetic theory within Reader-Response Theory. He differentiates between the artistic (the structural elements provided by the author, such as plot, characters, and themes) and the aesthetic (the reader’s personal, subjective experience of the text).
- Reference: The article highlights Iser’s differentiation between the artistic dimensions of a text (what the author provides) and the aesthetic dimensions (how the reader engages with and experiences the text) (p. 51). Probst’s emphasis on this interaction expands Reader-Response Theory by highlighting that literary interpretation is a collaborative process between text and reader, both contributing to the creation of meaning.
5. Application to Pedagogy and Medical Humanities
- Contribution: One of Probst’s major contributions is applying Reader-Response Theory to pedagogy, particularly in medical humanities. He advocates for teaching literature in a way that encourages medical students to engage with texts on a personal and reflective level, rather than merely acquiring interpretive skills. This pedagogical approach prioritizes the development of empathy and self-awareness in medical professionals.
- Reference: The article illustrates how Probst’s approach to teaching literature in medical settings involves students using literature to reflect on their own experiences and values as future physicians (p. 52). It also suggests that literary inquiry in these contexts should foster reflexivity, helping students confront difficult questions about human suffering, ethics, and their roles as caregivers.
6. Focus on Gaps and Indeterminacies in Texts
- Contribution: Probst highlights the importance of gaps and indeterminacies in texts, drawing from Iser’s theory. He argues that these ambiguities invite readers to fill in the missing pieces with their own knowledge and experiences, which makes the act of reading an imaginative and personal endeavor.
- Reference: The article discusses how texts like Albert Camus’ “The Plague” are filled with gaps that students must concretize in personal ways, meaning the reader’s interpretation fills in the gaps left by the text (p. 49). This further develops Reader-Response Theory by showing how texts are never complete without the reader’s participation.
7. Dynamic Interaction Between Reader and Text
- Contribution: Probst contributes to the dynamic nature of textual interpretation, reinforcing that a text’s meaning evolves as the reader engages with different perspectives offered within it. This interaction leads to a continual process of discovery, where the reader is “set in motion” alongside the text.
- Reference: The article reflects on how, according to Iser and Probst, the reader passes through various perspectives in the text, setting both the reader and the work “in motion” (p. 51). This illustrates the idea that reading is an active and evolving process, rather than a static act of decoding.
Examples of Critiques Through “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
| Literary Work | Critique through Reader-Response Theory | Key Concepts from Probst’s Theory |
| The Plague by Albert Camus | Through reader-response theory, readers engage with the existential questions raised by the characters, especially Dr. Rieux, about suffering and death. The meaning of the plague (as a symbol for various forms of suffering) changes depending on the reader’s own experiences with hardship. | Probst highlights the importance of personalizing the gaps and indeterminacies in the text, making each reading experience unique. |
| The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy | Readers of The Death of Ivan Ilyich are invited to reflect on their own mortality and the meaning of life. Tolstoy’s portrayal of Ivan’s confrontation with death provokes deep personal reflection, and the meaning of the text varies based on each reader’s life experiences and assumptions about death. | Probst advocates for a phenomenological reading where the text becomes a mirror for the reader’s own values and life choices. |
| Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka | Readers engage with Gregor Samsa’s transformation and alienation in deeply personal ways. The reader’s interpretation of Gregor’s isolation and the reactions of his family will depend on their own feelings about societal roles, family dynamics, and personal identity. | Probst suggests that readers fill in the emotional and psychological gaps of the story based on their own subjective experiences. |
| The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald | The reader’s experience with Gatsby’s pursuit of the American Dream varies depending on their perspective on ambition, wealth, and disillusionment. The reader may either empathize with Gatsby’s idealism or critique his obsessive materialism, reflecting their own socio-economic values and personal history. | Probst’s theory emphasizes the reader’s role in constructing the meaning of Gatsby’s rise and fall, shaped by their own assumptions and values. |
Explanation of the Table:
- The Plague by Albert Camus: Using Reader-Response Theory, readers engage with existential themes of suffering, death, and morality, influenced by their own perspectives on global crises like disease, death, and ethics. The interaction between the reader and text allows different interpretations based on personal reflection.
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy: Tolstoy’s novella invites readers to reflect on death, which becomes a personal journey through the Reader-Response lens. Readers must face their own views on mortality, making their engagement deeply personal, and each reader may come away with different reflections on the value of life.
- Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The alienation and transformation of Gregor Samsa is understood through the reader’s subjective perspective, which highlights how personal experiences of isolation and family dynamics influence the reader’s emotional connection with the text.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: The reader’s interpretation of Gatsby’s tragic pursuit of the American Dream is shaped by their own socio-economic background and beliefs about ambition, love, and materialism, showing how personal perspectives shape textual meaning.
Criticism Against “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
- Overemphasis on Subjectivity
- Critics argue that Reader-Response Theory may place too much emphasis on the reader’s personal response, leading to a relativistic approach where all interpretations are equally valid, which can undermine rigorous textual analysis.
- Neglect of Authorial Intent
- One common criticism is that Probst’s focus on the reader’s interaction with the text neglects the importance of the author’s intent, potentially leading to misinterpretations that deviate from the original meaning intended by the author.
- Potential for Interpretive Anarchy
- Some scholars contend that the emphasis on the reader’s experience can lead to interpretive anarchy, where there is no structure or standard to guide valid interpretations, making it difficult to discern legitimate readings from personal biases.
- Undermining Textual Authority
- Another critique is that by decentralizing the text and emphasizing the reader’s role, Reader-Response Theory risks diminishing the authority of the text itself, suggesting that the text’s inherent meanings are secondary to the reader’s subjective experiences.
- Limited Applicability to Technical or Objective Texts
- Critics argue that Reader-Response Theory may not be as effective in non-fictional or technical works, where objectivity and factual interpretation are essential, as it encourages a subjective approach that may not be appropriate for all types of literature.
- Inconsistent Educational Outcomes
- In educational settings, reliance on reader-response theory could lead to inconsistent learning outcomes, as students may focus more on personal reflection than developing critical analytical skills and understanding the literary structure and context.
Representative Quotations from “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst with Explanation
| Quotation | Page | Explanation |
| “To teach a student to read, in the fullest sense, is to help train him or her medically.” | 26 | This quotation from Trautmann reflects the belief that deep, critical reading fosters the skills necessary for medical practice, suggesting a link between literary inquiry and medical training. |
| “When literature and medicine scholars look for elements of narrative in their clinical encounter, they are interpreting a clinical text.” | 22 | This suggests that medical practitioners, like literary critics, interpret narratives in their encounters with patients, treating the patient’s body and behavior as a form of text to be read. |
| “The point of a medical humanities course devoted to literature is ethical reflection, not a bit of culture polish here, a touch of story enjoyment there.” | 445 | Robert Coles argues that the true value of literature in medical education lies in its ability to provoke deep ethical reflection, rather than offering superficial cultural enrichment. |
| “The study of a literary work should concern not only the actual text but also, and in equal measure, the actions involved in responding to that text.” | 20-21 | Wolfgang Iser’s emphasis on the reader’s response illustrates the core tenet of Reader-Response Theory, which holds that meaning arises from the interaction between reader and text. |
| “The reader personalizes the human stories found in the text.” | 48 | This highlights the role of phenomenological engagement in Reader-Response Theory, where readers relate to stories on a personal level, making the text more meaningful through reflection. |
| “How have I been taught to experience and to feel life, pain, health, death? Not how do I think about them?” | 19 | Novak emphasizes the importance of experiencing life events emotionally and subjectively, rather than viewing them in a detached, intellectual manner, particularly in medical education. |
| “Literature invites reflection on one’s own life, provoking self-awareness and a deeper understanding of personal beliefs and values.” | 49 | This expresses the reflective potential of literature in medical settings, where texts are used not only for their content but for the ethical and personal growth they inspire in readers. |
| “The most important literary skills we can provide them are those which arise incidentally and naturally in the classroom as students engage with the content of the literature itself.” | 50 | This supports the idea that literary analysis should emerge organically from classroom discussions rather than being forced, allowing students to reflect more deeply on their readings. |
| “There is a text, even without a reader: unopened, unread, the text is a tangible schemata provided by an implied author, characters, and a plot.” | 51 | This affirms the existence of a text as an independent entity, while still emphasizing that its full meaning emerges only when a reader interacts with it, a core tenet of Reader-Response Theory. |
| “We find ourselves discussing, not only the art, but our own lives as well.” | 313 | This highlights how discussions of literature in medical education often lead to personal reflection, demonstrating the transformative power of literary texts beyond simple analysis. |
Suggested Readings: “Reader Response Theory and the Problem of Meaning” by Robert E. Probst
- Fish, Stanley. Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities. Harvard University Press, 1980.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674467262 - Iser, Wolfgang. The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978. https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/act-reading
- Rosenblatt, Louise M. The Reader, the Text, the Poem: The Transactional Theory of the Literary Work. Southern Illinois University Press, 1978. https://siupress.siu.edu/books/9780809328503
- Holland, Norman N. Five Readers Reading. Yale University Press, 1975.
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300018504/five-readers-reading/ - Bleich, David. Subjective Criticism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.
https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/subjective-criticism - Jauss, Hans Robert. Toward an Aesthetic of Reception. University of Minnesota Press, 1982.
https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/toward-an-aesthetic-of-reception - Tompkins, Jane P., editor. Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980. https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/reader-response-criticism
- Mailloux, Steven. Interpretive Conventions: The Reader in the Study of American Fiction. Cornell University Press, 1982.
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9780801414709/interpretive-conventions/ - Probst, Robert E. “Transactional Theory and Response to Literature.” The Journal of Reading, vol. 31, no. 4, 1988, pp. 378-381. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40031907
- Booth, Wayne C. The Company We Keep: An Ethics of Fiction. University of California Press, 1988. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520062107/the-company-we-keep