Which of the following critics is associated with the term “contrapuntal reading”?

The correct option is Edward said (often capitalized as Edward Said).

Explanation:
“Contrapuntal reading” is a critical interpretive method developed by the postcolonial theorist and literary critic Edward Said. He introduced and detailed this concept in his influential 1993 book, Culture and Imperialism.

What is Contrapuntal Reading?
The term is borrowed from music theory, where "counterpoint" refers to the combination of two or more independent melodic lines played simultaneously to form a harmonious whole. Translated to literary analysis, Said argues that texts from the colonial era should not be read in isolation or from a singular viewpoint. Instead, they must be read with an understanding of both the colonizing metropolitan society and the colonized, marginalized histories that are often silenced, omitted, or disguised within the text.

Why other options are incorrect:
• Mikhail Bakhtin is primarily associated with concepts such as dialogism, carnivalesque, and polyphony.
• Roland Barthes is famous for structuralism, semiotics, and concepts like "the death of the author."
• Jacques Derrida is the founder of deconstruction.