Textual and Reader-Response Stylistics

INTRODUCTION TO
STYLISTICS
TEXTUAL STYLISTICS
HISTORY
 Stylistics explores how readers interact with the
language of (mainly literary) texts in order to
explain how we understand, and are affected
by texts when we read them. The development
of Stylistics, given that it combines the use of
linguistic analysis with what we know about the
psychological processes involved in reading,
depended (at least in part) on the study of
Linguistics and Psychology (both largely
twentieth-century phenomena) becoming
reasonably established.
 Stylistics can be seen as a logical extension of moves within
literary criticism early in the twentieth century to concentrate
on studying texts rather than authors. Nineteenth-century
literary criticism concentrated on the author, and in Britain the
text-based criticism of the two critics I. A. Richards and William
Empson, his pupil, rejected that approach in order to
concentrate on the literary texts themselves, and how readers
were affected by those texts.
 In the early years of the twentieth century, the members of the
Formalist Linguistic Circle in Moscow (usually called the Russian
Formalists), like I. A. Richards, also rejected undue
concentration on the author in literary criticism in favor of an
approach which favored the analysis of the language of the
text in relation to psychological effects of that linguistic
structure.
 “Proper words in proper places make the true
definition of a style.” – Swift
ADVANTAGE
 1. The strength of stylistics lies in the fact that the
students at the advanced level are made aware of
the social aspect of language and language
variation.
 2. This kind of study will help the students to use
this analytical skill in the spoken and written
discourse.
 3. Stylistics does not only help in analyzing the
literary texts but it also helps the students to use
language effectively in written and oral
communication in various speech situation.
DISADVANTAGE
 1. The limitations of stylistics is that it does not
take into account the social or cultural meaning
of the words and expressions,
 2. The contextual or the associative meaning
does not form the study of stylistics.
 3. This kind of study is limited to the structures
of the language.
READER-RESPONSE STYLISTICS
 Reader-Response examines the reader’s
response to a text as a response to a horizon of
expectations. By a horizon of expectations, is
meant that there is multiplicity of meanings of
interpretations in a text and these can be
accessed by the reader according to his or her
level or literary competence.
- Jonathan Culler (1981)

DEFINITION
 Reader response research in stylistics is characterized by a
commitment to rigorous and evidence-based approaches to
the study of readers’ interactions with and around texts, and
the application of such datasets in the service of stylistic
concerns, to contribute to stylistic textual analysis and/or
wider discussion of stylistic theory and methods.
 RR critics believe that a reader’s interaction with the text gives
the text its meaning. The text cannot exist without the reader.
 A successful reader-response critic does not just respond to a
text—anyone can do that— but analyzes his or her response,
or the responses of others. Our life experiences and the
communities we belong to greatly influence our reading of a
text. Because each reader will interact with the text
differently, the text may have more than one valid
interpretation.
ADVANTAGE
 1. Reader Response allows readers to interpret the text

in various ways.
 2. Allows readers to bring: personality traits, memories of
the past and present experiences to the text.
 3. Forces the readers to look past the words of the text,
and search for deeper meanings.
 4. Allows teachers to connect with their students on a
more personal level.
 5. Reader response criticism focusses on the
importance of the reader and their individual response to
the text.
DISADVANTAGE
 1. One brings their personal interpretations to the text
rather than examining the meaning that the other created.
 2. The reader brings a creates a narrow connection to the
text, rather than looking at different perspectives.
(connections to the world, connections to other text).
 3. Students may be unclear of how to respond correctly
because they are unsure of the teachers own perspective,
and how they will react to their own response.
 4. Reader response criticism focusses on the importance
of the reader and their individual response to the text.

Textual and Reader-Response Stylistics

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INTRODUCTION TO

- Jonathan Culler (1981)

 1. Reader Response allows readers to interpret the text

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