According to the theorist Stanley Fish, interpretation is not an individualistic activity, but rather a communal activity. In other words, meaning is not inherent in the text, but is created by the interpretive community that engages with it. Fish's idea of "interpretive communities" can be figuratively compared to the game "Telephone". Just as a message whispered from person to person can change and evolve as it passes through different people, the meaning of a text is constantly constructed and reconstructed by the interpretive community that engages with it. Each member of the community brings his own perspective, biases and experiences to the interpretation process, creating a dynamic and constantly evolving understanding of the text.
Fish's concept of interpretive communities challenges traditional notions of authorial intent and the idea of fixed meaning in a text. Instead, he argues that meaning is constantly constructed and constructed by the communities that engage with the text. Furthermore, Fish believes that these communities are not fixed, but are dynamic and constantly evolving.
Critics of Fish's theory claim that it is overly relativistic and leads to a loss of meaning and coherence in literary interpretation. However, Fish defended his ideas and argued that his theory allows for a more nuanced and complex understanding of literary interpretation.
Learn more; Is There a Text in This Class? / Stanley Fish