A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature - Response

I thought this was a really great article that captures many of the problems regarding how schools approach the teaching of literature.  I think it is essential to have a student-focused approach where students are able to develop their own understandings and interpretations of texts, which will allow students to take ownership over their learning and make more meaningful connections.  I really liked the notion of reading literature as "exploring a horizon of possibilities" (2).  I've always seen literary texts as reflections of the human experience that are subject to individual interpretation.  Every student or individual has their own unique worldview and life experiences that will influence their reading of a text.  Our understanding of the world will influence our reading of a text, and as teachers, we must be willing to validate the variety of interpretations our students will come up with.

I agree that there has been a certain fact-based approach to reading literary works in schools.  It does seem like many schools have a predetermined "correct" reading of a text that teachers and schools want their students to come to understand.  I even experienced this firsthand in my own education at certain points; occasionally, it felt as though there was a hidden, "right" answer in a text that I had to discern.  Additionally, I know that many students feel that the teacher holds this "correct" interpretation and it is the job of the student to try and discover what the teacher's interpretation is so they can agree with it.  However, leading students to believe that there is only one correct interpretation of a text is not conducive to critical thinking or good learning.  Students need to realize that their own interpretations are valid, and if we keep leading them to believe that we the teachers hold this fabled "right" answer, then our students will be taught to always seek out and accept the thinking of authority rather than develop and accept their own thinking.  It is essential that we teach our students to think for themselves and find their own meaning or else they will be subjected to an oppressive existence where they always look to others for understanding and knowledge.