Convergence and Divergence in Reader Response to Literature

THE PURPOSE of this study was to examine commonality and variation in reader response to a short story. Sixty-three ninth-grade students read a short story and selected preferred responses in four categories: reader beliefs, reader empathy, text events, and text conflict. An analysis of frequency patterns indicated a high degree of agreement on reader beliefs and text events. Variation in response occurred in the categories of reader empathy and text conflict. A chi-square analysis indicated significant relationships between response categories. One notable finding was that students who empathized with a particular character identified the conflict as pertaining to that character. The findings suggest specific reader-based and text-based factors which produce convergence and divergence in reader response. These results indicate the importance of examining the relationship between empathy and interpretation of theme in future studies.