In the curriculum for the subject of Swedish reading of literary texts is justified by ideas that literary reading will make the student learn more about the environment in which he/she lives, about herself/himself, as well as about others. It is well stated by previous research that what readings that is required and formulated in, for example, assignments or book talk, is important in how the text is discerned by the reader. It is therefore interesting to analyse what readings the student is required or invited to perform when literary reading is examined in national tests, a testing form that concerns all students in upper secondary school, and where one of its official aims is to concretize the curriculum. The aim of this thesis is to investigate what readings of literary texts are required or desirable in national tests in order to see what kind of reader the school is creating. This is done by studying how the student is positioned, by interpellations, in the tests. The thesis also has an historical approach, focusing on interpellation and reader subject. The empirical material of the study consists of all tasks that require reading of literary texts that have been used in national tests in upper secondary school in the subject of Swedish, from the year 1968 to 2013. The theoretical and methodological framework is discourse analytical with focus on positioning analyses, which is combined with analysis of readings, from the research field of literary didactics. The results show what readings that have been more or less frequent during the period.  Also the analyses of how the assignments are constructed display how the student is positioned in terms of competences, and in what way the reader subject is produced within the literary examinations.  For example, if the text should be read with a focus on form, as a societal argument, or in order to be an inspiration for the student´s own life, this will in itself create a reader that has a knowledge of how to analyse literature, is able to write about societal issues or is willing to talk about him/herself. The three prominent reading subjects that the study highlights are subjects with a knowledge of literature, with a knowledge of psychology and subjects with a knowledge of societal issues. The historical approach also shows that the student is provided with more and more information in how to read the text over time, which shows that the assignments work as a scaffold but at the same time gives the student a specific outlook on how to read literature in the later tests.

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo discutir aspectos da leitura literária em sala de aula a partir da leitura do romance A hora da estrela, de Clarice Lispector, aplicada nas aulas de Língua Portuguesa em uma escola municipal de São Paulo. Esta pesquisa insere-se no contexto do Mestrado Profissionalizante em Rede Nacional Profletras, que visa promover a educação continuada dos professores de Língua Portuguesa atuantes no ensino público do país. Por isso, professor e pesquisador aqui são um único sujeito que busca aprimorar e refletir sobre sua prática pedagógica. A partir dos estudos dos documentos oficiais nacionais e municipais e das discussões teórico-metodológicas sobre o ensino de Leitura Literária (ROUXEL, LANGLADE, REZENDE, 2013), foi realizada a leitura compartilhada da obra de Clarice Lispector, com duas turmas de 9º ano em 2017. O planejamento, sua execução e a coleta de dados não se deram sem imprevistos e percalços, típicos em qualquer escola ou sala de aula. Todas essas etapas, bem como os comentários e produções textuais dos estudantes, foram descritas e analisadas com vias a se perceber as leituras realizadas por estudantes/leitores reais em uma sala de aula sob a mediação do professor/pesquisador, leitor experiente que busca uma leitura implicada e significativa. Os resultados demonstram avanços e recuos de estudantes ainda pouco familiarizados com o repertório próprio da cultura literária, mas que a partir de suas experiências pessoais e da partilha de interpretações e impressões apoderam-se e utilizam-se do texto literário de modo singular. Nesta experiência, alguns conceitos provaram ser decisivos para o sucesso da atividade: a mediação do professor, a partilha dentro da comunidade leitora e o pacto que não se estabelece apenas entre leitor e obra, mas entre estudantes e professor. / The present dissertation aims to discuss literary reading aspects in the classroom about the romance A Hora da Estrela, by Clarice Lispector, applied in Portuguese lessons in a municipal school situated in São Paulo. This research is a result of the National Vocational Masters Program, PROFLETRAS, which intends to promote the ongoing development of Portuguese teachers working in public schools in Brazil. Therefore, teachers and researchers have a single role, which is to improve their pedagogical practice and to reflect on these practices. By studies made over national and municipal official files and discussions over theory and methodology used in the teaching process of literary reading (ROUXEL, LANGLADE, REZENDE, 2013) a sharing reading of Clarice Lispectors book was accomplished with the 9th grade groups in 2017. The planning, its execution and the data gathering have come out throughout mishaps and unexpected situations, as expected at any school or classroom. All the steps taken, as well as the comments and students text productions were described and examined with the intent to observe the reading processes of real students/readers in a classroom under the mediation of the teacher/researcher, this last one being an experienced reader searching for an involving and meaningful reading. The results show progress among some students and setbacks among others that are not familiar enough with the existent variation in the literary culture, but that could use the reading process in a very particular way due to the sharing of interpretations and impressions of the book. In the experience, some concepts have proved to be decisive to the success of the task: The teachers mediation, the sharing inside the readers community and the pact that is not only established between the reader and the book, but also between students and teacher.

Submitted by Edileide Reis (leyde-landy@hotmail.com) on 2013-05-09T13:23:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria de Fatima Cruz.pdf: 1873117 bytes, checksum: 59cd8e49904b214493a6e42a80576361 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by NELIJANE MENEZES(rubi2276@gmail.com) on 2013-05-11T00:35:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria de Fatima Cruz.pdf: 1873117 bytes, checksum: 59cd8e49904b214493a6e42a80576361 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-11T00:35:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria de Fatima Cruz.pdf: 1873117 bytes, checksum: 59cd8e49904b214493a6e42a80576361 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / O presente trabalho discorre sobre uma experiência de prática pedagógica realizada com vinte e cinco alunos da Escola Professora Adalgisa Santos na cidade de Alagoinhas, utilizando o texto literário na Educação de Jovens e Adultos e questiona o modo de apropriação da leitura literária por esse público da escola noturna, visando a criação de propostas didáticometodológicas para formação do sujeito leitor em língua portuguesa. Para isso, o texto defende a inserção da leitura literária nas classes de Educação de jovens e adultos, salientando que essa pode ser uma alternativa viável para o ensino e aprendizagem do texto literário escolarizado. Partindo deste princípio a discussão se volta para a viabilidade da leitura literária na escola brasileira, como instrumento básico que lastreia o processo de humanização do homem a partir do diálogo que a escola possa estabelecer com os saberes construídos por esses aprendizes nos seus contextos de vida e formação. Dois objetivos serviram de ponto de partida para a produção deste trabalho: o primeiro, de cunho amplo, foi observar como os alunos da educação de jovens e adultos se apropriavam do texto literário a partir de vivências literárias e, a partir daí elaborar uma abordagem conceitual que pudesse oferecer subsídios aos interessados na leitura e na formação de leitores. O segundo objetivo, mais específico, e decorrente do primeiro foi criar uma proposta de atividades literárias para classes de EJA, envolvendo os mais variados textos literários, visando o aprimoramento da própria capacidade de leitura dos estudantes da Educação de jovens e adultos. Para consecução desses objetivos tomamos como dimensão metodológica a observação participante na medida em que me pus a olhar, ouvir, interpretar e compreender a realidade da turma que escolhi para desenvolver a experiência. Dessa forma, realizamos uma pesquisa etnográfica de natureza qualitativa de inspiração fenomenológica com recurso hermenêutico, desenvolvida a partir da prática do trabalho de campo. Ao tentar penetrar em formas de vida plurais, este estudo analisou os processos de construção e fomento à leitura na educação de jovens e adultos, tomando como base teórica o sóciointeracionismo de Mikhail Bakhtin, a noção de inacabamento do sujeito postulada por Paulo Freire e o conceito de desejo engendrado por Jacques Lacan. Por isso, este texto se caracteriza como o lugar de resultados, pois se apresenta como a efetivação da pesquisa a partir da elaboração da proposta de vivências literárias para as classes de Educação de jovens e adultos. / Salvador

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo discutir aspectos da leitura literária em sala de aula a partir da leitura do romance A hora da estrela, de Clarice Lispector, aplicada nas aulas de Língua Portuguesa em uma escola municipal de São Paulo. Esta pesquisa insere-se no contexto do Mestrado Profissionalizante em Rede Nacional Profletras, que visa promover a educação continuada dos professores de Língua Portuguesa atuantes no ensino público do país. Por isso, professor e pesquisador aqui são um único sujeito que busca aprimorar e refletir sobre sua prática pedagógica. A partir dos estudos dos documentos oficiais nacionais e municipais e das discussões teórico-metodológicas sobre o ensino de Leitura Literária (ROUXEL, LANGLADE, REZENDE, 2013), foi realizada a leitura compartilhada da obra de Clarice Lispector, com duas turmas de 9º ano em 2017. O planejamento, sua execução e a coleta de dados não se deram sem imprevistos e percalços, típicos em qualquer escola ou sala de aula. Todas essas etapas, bem como os comentários e produções textuais dos estudantes, foram descritas e analisadas com vias a se perceber as leituras realizadas por estudantes/leitores reais em uma sala de aula sob a mediação do professor/pesquisador, leitor experiente que busca uma leitura implicada e significativa. Os resultados demonstram avanços e recuos de estudantes ainda pouco familiarizados com o repertório próprio da cultura literária, mas que a partir de suas experiências pessoais e da partilha de interpretações e impressões apoderam-se e utilizam-se do texto literário de modo singular. Nesta experiência, alguns conceitos provaram ser decisivos para o sucesso da atividade: a mediação do professor, a partilha dentro da comunidade leitora e o pacto que não se estabelece apenas entre leitor e obra, mas entre estudantes e professor. / The present dissertation aims to discuss literary reading aspects in the classroom about the romance A Hora da Estrela, by Clarice Lispector, applied in Portuguese lessons in a municipal school situated in São Paulo. This research is a result of the National Vocational Masters Program, PROFLETRAS, which intends to promote the ongoing development of Portuguese teachers working in public schools in Brazil. Therefore, teachers and researchers have a single role, which is to improve their pedagogical practice and to reflect on these practices. By studies made over national and municipal official files and discussions over theory and methodology used in the teaching process of literary reading (ROUXEL, LANGLADE, REZENDE, 2013) a sharing reading of Clarice Lispectors book was accomplished with the 9th grade groups in 2017. The planning, its execution and the data gathering have come out throughout mishaps and unexpected situations, as expected at any school or classroom. All the steps taken, as well as the comments and students text productions were described and examined with the intent to observe the reading processes of real students/readers in a classroom under the mediation of the teacher/researcher, this last one being an experienced reader searching for an involving and meaningful reading. The results show progress among some students and setbacks among others that are not familiar enough with the existent variation in the literary culture, but that could use the reading process in a very particular way due to the sharing of interpretations and impressions of the book. In the experience, some concepts have proved to be decisive to the success of the task: The teachers mediation, the sharing inside the readers community and the pact that is not only established between the reader and the book, but also between students and teacher.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-25T12:19:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1_RosileneFernandesDaSilva_Intro_Conclusao.pdf: 1081708 bytes, checksum: c818ac5018c129d728105b7e444e899a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-11-09 / The objective of this research is to see how Lower Middle Government School students in Campina Grande interact with the literary texts, especially poems, which are taught to them at this level. We prefer to defend a sort of education through literary texts which is for the cultural and humanistic formation of the students. To do so, we look at the importance of teaching proposal which, by raising the sensibility, creativity and critical aptitude, gives priority to the esthetic aspect of the text. From this point of view, our research based on the reception method that demands a work with profound interaction between student and teacher because we assume that all new knowledge can be well assimilated by bringing up the information that an individual already has about the subject. To fulfill our objective the research focused specifically on literary reading, teaching practices and the reception of a poem. The result of present research shows that the teaching of poem, when well directed, can help students to see it as an enjoyable activity. From this point of view, we also find that concentration on reading (both loud and silent) of a poem by students helps them to understand its meaning better by aking it an experience of their own and see the poem in a new light as a consequence of their own reading ability. / Esta pesquisa objetiva verificar como os alunos da 1ª série do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública de Campina Grande interagem com os textos poéticos que lhes são oferecidos para estudo. Este trabalho tem como prioridade favorecer uma educação para a formação cultural e humana do aluno por meio do texto literário. Para isso, consideramos a importância de uma proposta de ensino que priorize a fruição estética do texto, através do despertar da sensibilidade, da criatividade e do senso crítico. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa foi fundamentada no método recepcional, que exige um trabalho de intensa interação entre professor e aluno, porque pressupõe que todo conhecimento novo só pode ser assimilado a partir do resgate das informações que o indivíduo já possui sobre o que a ele está sendo apresentado. As categorias que constituíram o eixo da pesquisa foram: leitura literária, prática pedagógica e recepção de poesia. Os dados desta pesquisa nos permitem afirmar que, quando bem direcionado, o trabalho com os textos poéticos pode se descobrir uma atividade prazerosa para os alunos. Neste sentido, a concretização da leitura de poesia pelos alunos, em sala de aula, poderá contribuir para que eles, compreendendo o seu sentido, possam compreender a si próprios, passando a desenvolver suas próprias experiências no ato da leitura e, como conseqüência, suas habilidades como leitores.

Ce travail de recherche s’intéresse au potentiel thérapeutique de la lecture et vise à mieux comprendre le fonctionnement du dispositif littéraire, notamment dans son interaction avec le lecteur. En nous appuyant sur la théorie des mondes parallèles, nous faisons l’hypothèse que l’œuvre littéraire induit une simulation de la vie psychique du lecteur. Par le biais du canal sémiotique qu’est le texte et selon des dispositifs de représentation, le lecteur ressaisit le sens des mots et s’approprie le récit. En tant qu’expérience esthétique, la lecture littéraire fait appel au vécu du lecteur et engage ses émotions autrement que tout autre type de discours. Le geste de la lecture sous-entend déjà une certaine subjectivité du lecteur et nous pouvons donc, dès lors que nous nous intéressons de plus près à l’interaction entre texte et lecteur, concevoir une utilisation thérapeutique de la littérature. En proposant l’œuvre littéraire comme support de développement psychique, nous avons conçu, animé et évalué un atelier thérapeutique de lecture et d’écriture dans trois structures en santé mentale, à Toulouse et à Montréal. Destiné à un public souffrant de psychose, cet atelier s’appuie sur les principes de l’art-thérapie et vient concrétiser l’aspect (re)constructeur de la lecture littéraire inscrite dans notre réflexion théorique. Nos observations, d’une part, interrogent la perspective théorique littéraire, la fonction attribuée à l’œuvre et l’activité du lecteur et, d’autre part, débouchent sur des propositions thérapeutiques pour un atelier de lecture et d’écriture en milieu psychiatrique. / This research is interested in the therapeutic potential of literary reading and looks for a better understanding of the literary device, particularly in its interaction with the reader. Basing our work on fictional worlds theory, we make the hypothesis that literary work induces a simulation of the reader’s psychic life. Using the semiotic channel of the text and according to representation devices, the reader seizes the words’ sense and adapts the story for himself. As an aesthetic experience, literary reading calls for the reader’s past experiences and engages his emotions in a different way than any other type of discourse. The gesture of reading already implies a certain subjectivity for the reader and we can therefore, as we take a closer interest to text-reader interaction, imagine a therapeutic use of literature. Proposing literary work as a support for psychic development, we have designed, ran and evaluated therapeutic reading and writing sessions in three mental health infrastructures, in Toulouse and Montreal. Destined to a psychotic audience, these reading sessions are based on art therapy principles and concretize the (re)constructive aspect of literary reading within our theoritical reflection. On one hand, our observations challenge the literary studies perspective, the function of the literary work and the activity of the reader and, on the other hand, they lead on therapeutic propositions for reading and writing sessions in a psychiatric context.

Neste trabalho, refletimos sobre o trabalho com a leitura de uma obra integral em sala de aula de língua estrangeira. Descrevemos como se deu a leitura de LOdeur du café, uma autobiografia de infância de Dany Laferrière, escritor de língua francesa associado à dita literatura migrante, por um grupo de alunos que já possuíam cerca de 130h de aprendizado da língua francesa. Primeiramente, discorremos sobre o uso histórico do texto literário em FLE e sobre as especificidades do texto literário, assim como discutimos os processos de leitura e especialmente a leitura literária em língua estrangeira (capítulo1). Em seguida, abordamos as especificidades da autobiografia, da autobiografia de infância, contextualizamos o autor Dany Laferrière e LOdeur du café (capítulo 2), e apresentamos contribuições teórico-metodológicas que embasaram nosso trabalho em sala de aula (capítulo 3). Por fim, descrevemos e analisamos a recepção literária dos alunos a partir de suas verbalizações escritas e a forma com que estes conseguiram apropriar-se da leitura literária de uma obra integral em língua estrangeira (capítulo 4). / This paper is a reflection about reading a whole piece in a foreign language classroom. I describe the reading of LOdeur du café, a childhood autobiography of Dany Laferrière, French language writer joined to the called migrant literature, by a group of students with 130h of French language learning. First, I discuss the historical use of the literary text in FLE and specifities of the literary text as well as processes of reading and especially literary reading in foreign language (chapter 1). After that, I discuss specifities of autobiography, childhood autobiography, I contextualize the author Dany Laferrière and LOdeur du café (chapter 2), and I present some theoretical-methodologic contributions which are in the bases of our work in classroom (chapter 3). Finally, I describe and I analyze literary reception students from their written verbalizations and the way they have incorporated to themselves a literary reading of a whole piece in foreign language (chapter 4).

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2018-05-08T20:22:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Rafael Martins de Souza Almeida.pdf: 1989285 bytes, checksum: 74ba6444a5c929988d94c6c7e100b86a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-08T20:22:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Rafael Martins de Souza Almeida.pdf: 1989285 bytes, checksum: 74ba6444a5c929988d94c6c7e100b86a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-10 / CAPES / This work presents and puts into practice a proposal of mediation in a ninth grade class of the Elementary School of the Pedro II College. The purpose of the classroom intervention was to bring the student closer to the masterpieces of universal literature, giving him an unique appropriation of the classics reading, without the usual barriers that make literary reading occupy a small space in Brazilian education. In its theoretical basis, the present study investigated the causes of this obstacle ? the passive acceptance of mass culture, formalist and technicist excesses, the advent of new media and technologies, prejudice about student capacity and school routine itself ? and examined the benefits that the reading of classics can bring to the reader ? the construction of an identity, the expansion of repertoire, some resourcefulness in using language and access to cultural heritage. The methodology of pedagogical application included the creation of a library atmosphere, the establishment of bridges to other spheres of art, culture and entertainment, the availability of free reading time and the maintenance of reading diaries, which constituted a corpus submitted to analysis in the chapter dedicated to the report of the experience. The classroom observations and the information extracted from the corpus ratified that the prolonged and autonomous reading of literature classics should play a central role in the school environment. / Este trabalho apresenta e p?e em pr?tica uma proposta de media??o em uma turma de nono ano do Ensino Fundamental do Col?gio Pedro II. A interven??o em sala de aula teve como objetivo a aproxima??o do aluno com as obras-primas da literatura universal, proporcionando-lhe uma apropria??o singular dos cl?ssicos lidos, sem as usuais barreiras que fazem a leitura liter?ria ocupar um espa?o pequeno no ensino brasileiro. Em sua fundamenta??o te?rica, o presente estudo investigou as causas desse entrave ? a aceita??o passiva da cultura de massa, os excessos formalistas e tecnicistas, o advento de novas m?dias e tecnologias, o preconceito quanto ? capacidade dos alunos e a pr?pria rotina escolar ? e examinou os benef?cios que a leitura dos cl?ssicos pode trazer para o leitor ? a constru??o de uma identidade, a amplia??o de repert?rio, a desenvoltura no uso da l?ngua e o acesso ? heran?a cultural. A metodologia da aplica??o pedag?gica incluiu a cria??o de uma atmosfera de biblioteca, o estabelecimento de pontes com outras esferas da arte, da cultura e do entretenimento, a disponibiliza??o de tempo para a leitura livre e a manuten??o de di?rios de leitura, os quais constitu?ram um corpus submetido a an?lise no cap?tulo dedicado ao relato da experi?ncia. As observa??es em sala de aula e as informa??es extra?das do corpus ratificaram que a leitura prolongada e aut?noma de cl?ssicos da literatura deve ter um papel central no ambiente escolar.

La thèse interroge conjointement les effets de situations d’échanges sur des forums et des blogs sur la formation de jeunes lecteurs de textes littéraires et les conditions qui favorisent ou limitent ces effets. Cette problématique générale possède deux versants complémentaires :- un questionnement portant sur les compétences de lecture manifestées dans les pratiques sociales d’échanges entre lecteurs mais ordinairement ignorées par L’École ;- une interrogation sur l’entretien d’une réflexion sur les lectures et les textes par des enseignements associant le travail en ligne et en face-à-face.Pour répondre à ces questions, nous étudions un forum non scolaire d’adolescents lecteurs ainsi que différents dispositifs d’enseignement hybrides, conçus et mis en œuvre par 10 professeurs du secondaire exerçant en Île-de-France dans des établissements sociologiquement variés.La thèse poursuit trois objectifs solidaires, selon une approche ethnométhodologique attentive au contexte social et didactique propre à chaque cas étudié. Il s’agit de préciser les processus par lesquels le lecteur conduit une lecture imaginairement et émotionnellement impliquée, de distinguer les spécificités des différents usages de forums et de blogs de lecteur et de comprendre ce qui, dans ces situations, entretient ou inhibe le travail interprétatif.Nous proposons en premier lieu un modèle théorique d’intelligibilité des productions recueillies En deuxième lieu, nous analysons les échanges du forum des adolescents lecteurs pour en distinguer les spécificités et mieux comprendre la transposition scolaire des pratiques sociales. En troisième lieu, nous évaluons les effets des divers usages scolaires de forums et de blogs de lecteurs sur le travail interprétatif.Trois hypothèses ont été examinées. La première conjecture l’expression de compétences de lecture interprétative inconnues ou inaperçues en contexte scolaire sur le forum non scolaire d’adolescents lecteurs. La deuxième hypothèse attend l’entretien d’un travail de lecture impliquée et critique sur les espaces numériques. La troisième hypothèse prévoit des relances réflexives lors des retours en face-à-face sur des écrits asynchrones. Les atouts et les limites des situations étudiées conduisent à avancer des propositions pour l’enseignement et pour la formation des professeurs. / The dissertation investigates both the effects of the idea and knowledge sharing forums and blogs, which foster the formation process of young readers’ literary competence, and the conditions which favor or limit these effects. This general problem has two complementary sides:- the existence of questioning about the reading skills manifested in social practices of the idea exchanging among readers but usually ignored to be implemented;- a question on skill maintenance through the reflection of the read texts by combining online work and face-to-face.To be able to form a sound opinion around these questions, we are examining a non-academic forum of teenagers as well as various hybrid teaching devices, designed and implemented by 10 high school teachers based in Île-de-France in socially varied institutions.The dissertation, taking into account the ethnomethodological approach that carefully examines the social and didactic contexts specific to each studied case, pursues three interdependent objectives. It is a question of specifying the processes by which the reader conducts an imaginarily and emotionally involved reading to distinguish the specifications of the different uses of the forums and reader blogs and to find out what maintains or inhibits the interpretative work under certain circumstances.We first propose a theoretical model of intelligibility of the output collected. Secondly, we analyze teenage readers’ idea exchanging forum to distinguish the specifications of this field and thus contributes to a better understanding of the transposition of social practices at school. Thirdly, we evaluate the effects of various school uses of forums and reader blogs on interpretive work.Three hypotheses were examined in the dissertation. On the non-academic forum of adolescent readers, we conjectured the expression of interpretative reading skills unknown or unnoticed in school context. Concerning hybrid teaching practices, on one hand we have been waiting for the maintenance of the involved and critical reading work in the digital spaces and on the other hand, in face-to-face feedbacks and on asynchronous writings. The strengths and limitations of the studied situations lead to recomendations for the implementation of hybrid approach and hereby for the training of teachers.

A prominent hypothesis in literary studies is that readers, especially those that are fully immersed, engage empathically with fictional characters. This dissertation provides a critique of the Cartesian assumptions embedded in contemporary (cognitive scientific) models of empathy and then goes on to provide an alternative account of empathy based on especially Husserl’s and Heidegger’s phenomenology. According to this alternative, empathy does not establish but rather discloses in reflection an already present intersubjectivity from which it is derivative. It is also held that readers who are fully empathically engaged in a literary text lose self-awareness. I provide a critique of this view and present a Husserlian model according to which full engagement with the other and continuation of a certain kind of self-awareness occur simultaneously. This phenomenological alternative is based on the notion that an experiential self-givenness or “mineness” accompanies all my experiences and is prior to any objectifying forms of self-awareness. I then critique Cartesian models of (self-)reflection and self-modification in literary reading and with the help of Heidegger suggest a phenomenological model within which the distinction between modification of beliefs and the modification that is inherent in experiencing becomes understandable as contingent on the form of ontological interrogation that Merleau-Ponty terms “radical reflection”. Finally, I present a series of empirical studies investigating whether the preceding theoretical distinctions are borne out in the experiences of actual readers of literary texts concerned with human finitude. Phenomenological methods, (Kuiken, Schopflocher, and Wild; Kuiken and Miall, “Numerically Aided Phenomenology”) were employed to 1) identify several distinct types of reading experience, 2) spell out how one of those types instantiates ‘existential reading’ as conceived here, and 3) provide convergent and discriminant validation of this type of reading experience. Of particular interest was whether a form of existential reading can be understood as an event during which readers engage the text through a form of empathic engagement that is grounded in an a priori intersubjectivity, that retains an experiential self-awareness or “mineness” simultaneously with empathic engagement, and that supports a non-Cartesian form of “radical reflection” that opens onto an ontological consideration of finitude.