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GATE 2026 XH2 (English) – Question 52

Critical Theories and Intellectual Traditions · Theoretical Paradigms: Structuralism, Marxism, feminism, existentialism, poststructuralism, modernism, postmodernism, new historicism, postcolonialism, posthumanism · 2 marks · Multiple choice

Which one of the following describes the practice of interpreting a text based on the author’s intentions?

  1. Reader Response Criticism
  2. Formalism
  3. Intentional Fallacy
  4. New Criticism

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Correct answer: (C) Intentional Fallacy

Explanation

Of the four, only the intentional fallacy is about the author's intention: Wimsatt and Beardsley gave that name to the mistake of judging or interpreting a work by what its author meant. Reader-response looks to the reader, and formalism and New Criticism look to the text itself.