The Reading Process: A Phenomenological Approach by Wolfgang Iser

In “The Reading Process: A Phenomenological Approach,” Wolfgang Iser explores how readers actively participate in creating the meaning of a literary text. Rather than seeing meaning as something fixed within the words themselves, Iser argues that it arises through the interaction between the text and the reader’s imagination. Drawing from phenomenology—a philosophical approach that focuses on human experience—he emphasizes that the act of reading is dynamic, and meaning is not simply received but constructed in the mind of the reader.

Iser begins by explaining that a literary text is not a complete, static object. Instead, it contains gaps or blanks—unwritten elements, pauses, and spaces that invite the reader to fill them in. These gaps are not flaws; they are essential, because they activate the reader’s imagination. A text offers instructions or cues, but it’s the reader who must connect ideas, infer relationships, and build the story in their mind. Therefore, every act of reading is unique, shaped by the individual reader’s background, expectations, and experiences.

He introduces two key aspects of the text: the “textual structure” (the written words) and the “concretization” (the mental image or experience the reader creates). The reading process happens over time, and meaning unfolds gradually. Readers continuously move between expectation and surprise—they form ideas based on what they’ve read, and these ideas are confirmed, challenged, or modified as they read further. This back-and-forth movement is what Iser calls the “wandering viewpoint.” It reflects how readers shift perspectives, re-evaluate earlier passages, and build a fuller understanding as the narrative progresses.

Iser also distinguishes between two types of meaning: the real (actual words of the text) and the virtual (the meaning that emerges through reading). He argues that the virtual text—the one experienced in the reader’s mind—is the true space where meaning happens. Since each reader constructs this meaning differently, texts have a multiplicity of possible interpretations, even though they are based on the same words.

Furthermore, Iser emphasizes the importance of the reader’s role, challenging earlier theories that focused only on the author or the text itself. He argues that the reader is not passive but plays an active, creative role in shaping the literary experience. Literature, then, is not just about what is said, but about what it does to the reader—how it engages, provokes, and transforms them.

In conclusion, Wolfgang Iser’s “The Reading Process: A Phenomenological Approach” presents a powerful theory of reading as an interactive, imaginative act. He shows that the meaning of a literary text is not fixed or given, but produced through the reader’s engagement with the gaps and structures of the text. By highlighting the reader’s active role, Iser offers a deeper understanding of how literature works—not as a one-way message, but as a shared experience between text and reader. His essay remains central to reader-response theory and continues to shape how we think about reading, interpretation, and the power of literature.

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