The reader plays a very big role in analyzing a text and depicting what message the author/writer is trying

to put forward. The opinions and judgements of a reader might contradict with that of another reader as
there can be an unlimited number of possible readings in a text. The reader might read it in a subjective
way, where he is understanding the text based on his personal feelings and other’s opinions or a reader
might read the text in an objective way where he is sticking to just facts. It comes down to the fact that,
there might be an infinite number of interpretations for a text. If a reader reads an ‘I’ in a text, readers will
have a different approach and opinion to that specific word based on their own feelings, culture or
background. The authors will sometimes leave an open ending so that the reader can fill in the gaps
according to their own understanding and taste. But sometimes the reader has to stick to what the
meaning of the passage is, because if we add our judgements and boundaries to it, it may give a whole new
different message that differs from what the writer has to offer. When you are looking at a text and pass
your own opinion or judgement, people might think they are being criticized, but by giving evidence and
facts the person proves his/her point. An important basis for many interpretations of reading is the
philosophy of ‘phenomenology’. Phenomenology is more so a qualitative analysis which basically means
that everything around us adds up to our different interpretations and understandings of a text. How we
see the society, what we hear in our day-to-day life, these are just some examples that play a big role in us
perceiving the text in a different way. Focusing on how a passage is written rather than what is written is
also very important; going in between the lines and trying to understand what the author has to offer. It is
very important to understand the narrator on what he is trying to implement and portray.
UMBERTO ECO, 1979