Description
Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1981. The meaning and objectives of literature, argues David Bleich, are created by the reader, who depends on community consensus to validate his or her judgements. Bleich proposes that the study of English be consciously reoriented from a knowledge-finding to a knowledge-making enterprise. This involves a new explanation of language acquisition in childhood, a psychologically disciplined concept of linguistic and literary response, and a recognition of the intellectual authority of pedagogical communities to originate and establish knowledge. Amplifying his theoretical model with subjective responses drawn from his own classroom experience, Bleich suggests ways in which the study of language and literature can become more fully integrated with each person's responsibility for what he or she knows.
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter 1. The Subjective Paradigm
Chapter 2. The Motivational Character of Language and Symbol Formation
Chapter 3. The Logic of Interpretation
Chapter 4. Epistemological Assumptions in the Study of Response
Chapter 5. The Pedagogical Development of Knowledge
Chapter 6. The Relative Negotiability of Response Statements
Chapter 7. Acts of Taste and Changes of Taste
Chapter 8. The Construction of Literary Meaning
Chapter 9. The Conception and Documentation of the Author
Chapter 10. Collective Interests and the Definition of Literary Regularities
Conclusion. Knowledge, Responsibility, and Community
Index
