Roland Barthes declared that the author is dead and the reader is the author/creator.
A writer is never in control of how his writing gets interpreted; he cannot impose an ironclad way it will get interpreted.
Reader response theory asserts that the meaning of a text is not fixed and objective but rather subjective and dependent on the reader’s interpretation and response to it.
According to it, readers bring their own experiences, values, and beliefs to the text, which shape their understanding and response to it. This means that each reader’s interpretation of a text is unique and can vary depending on factors such as their cultural background, personal experiences, and emotional state. We call this subjective reader response.
Reader response theory originated in the 1960s and 1970s as a reaction to the dominant New Criticism approach, which focused on the text itself rather than the reader’s response to it. Proponents of reader response theory argue that by emphasizing the role of the reader in shaping meaning, this approach offers a more democratic and inclusive view of literature.
I have realized that more often people misunderstand than understand what you try to convey through words.
I am not saying everyone does so.
But given that some do, the moment you write anything, you have to sort of have a thick skin to absord their barbs.
Given that I have a thin skin, I have decided I will not write any more ever again in my life.
But the problem is, even your silence will be misinterpreted, so I guess there is no escaping criticism. And, one’s silence will surely annoy others, but at least there is less scope for it to be misunderstood.
Know Thyself 