Thesis On Core Scope And Theoretical Significance Of Fish

Main representative figure of the Reader-Response Criticism is Stanley Fish, who lifted “reader-centered” theory banner, with innovative spirit and great theoretical courage, put forward a number of new theoretical categories, opened New Vision of the Reader- Response Criticism.This article will discuss the core category and its significance in theory of Stanley Fish’s thought, which is divided into four chapters:The first chapter mainly expounds the formation of Fish’s thought,respectively introduces Fish’s life and thought change, the correlation of American Reader-Response Criticism and the formation of Fish’s Reader- Response Criticism.The production of Fish’s thought didn’t happen overnight, it is a gradual process, with obvious stages, from the initial focus on the relationship between the text and the reader to the reader authority and interpretive communities, then finally return to the text center. In addition, his theory thought mainly by the hermeneutics,phenomenology, and the influence of Russian formalism, such as his attention to social and cultural,the reaction of readers in the reading process, etc.The second chapter mainly discusses the core theories of Fish and carries on the brief evaluation, he put forward many unique insights in reading activities, for example,he put forward the concept of "InterpretiveAssumptions" that the reader will make a comprehensive judgement about the text before reading,different judgement will lead to different understanding;Another example,he also put forward the theory of "Interpretive Communities",it refers to the social and cultural system,readers was born to the influence of this system,thus,readers interpret the text will with the trace of community culture;In addition,he also discusses "the Impossible of Critical Self-Consciousness",think that the limitations is always accompanied with our activity, critical self-consciousness is impossible;He also put special emphasis on the reader’s reaction in the reading activity.He consider that the reading reaction under the control of Interpretive Communities is the meaning of the reading, overturned thoroughly the objectivity of the text.Third chapter summarizes theoretical significance of Fish’s thought,which includes two parts:one is the center of the readers were highlighted,and the other one is the dialectic of reader-response’s diversity and commonality. Before Fish also had some theorists concerned about readers, but they are still focus on the text, just made some bedding for the arrival of the reader-center thought, while Fish attaches great importance to all the readers’ experience in the process of reading, argues that meaning just is the experience, the objectivity of the text is illusory, he takes the reader to an unprecedented height. In addition,Fish’s research of the literal meaning, context and InterpretiveCommunities helps to solve the problem of reader-response’s diversity and commonality, also provides a new perspective;.The fourth chapter will mainly compare Fish’s thought with Jauss’ s,Iser’s, and other representatives’ thought of the Reader-Response Criticism.Compare to Fish, Jauss tries to build relatively macroscopic theory framework, and more dedicated to the study of literary history,Iser mainly pay attention to the communication in reading process between the readers and the text, all of them focus on the role of the reader, but different emphases. Similarly,there are same with different readers theory between the other major thinkers in the Reader-Response Criticism and Fish. Holland is trying to find a melting point between the objective understanding of the text and subjective experience, and thinks that one’s personality decides reading response; Bleich advances the subjective paradigm that readers’ reading motivation is the first, in addition, his analysis of the reader response also more hierarchical.All in all,this paper studies Fish by discussing the formation of Fish’s thought,the core categories and theoretical significance,similarities and differences with other thinkers who claims that attaches great importance to the readers in the reading.I hope I could make intends to explore.