| Avid readers of literature know that much more happens in the reading of a text than mere content or knowledge acquisition. A good novel, play, or poem has a way of reaching deep inside the reader, shifting something in how s/he comprehends the world. This dissertation pursues the inquiry, ''How do engaged readers make meaning of their lives from reading literature?" To define: engaged readers are those who are proficient at allowing their reading of literature to help them make meaning of their lives; engaged reading is the process by which this happens. The literature review for this dissertation pursues two different strands, weaving together ideas from literary criticism and transformative learning to form a net that supports the inquiry. The first strand offers investigation into various approaches to literature, including hermeneutics and various methods of contemporary literary criticism. The second strand explores several models of transformative learning theory. The research follows the experiences of eleven exemplars, each of whom is a writer as well as being involved in teaching or publishing literature; each has written a literary memoir in the past 25 years. Their experiences are collected and analyzed to disclose the central elements of engaged reading.; The research culminates in a model that describes the progression of understanding, insight, and transformation that makes up the spiral of engaged reading. The model has implications for the teaching and criticism of literature, and also for therapeutic or personal growth applications. |
