Which of the following statements are true about reader response criticism?
[A] It challenges the nation that the meaning is located within the text.
[B] It refutes that the author is the originator of meaning.
[C] It sees the reader as a source of meaning.
[D] It treats the text as self sufficient.
[E] It appreciates the texts that are historical.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is A, B and C only.

Reader-response criticism is a school of literary theory that focuses on the reader and their experience of a literary work, in contrast to other schools and theories that focus attention primarily on the author or the content and form of the text.
Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand why this is the correct choice:

Statement [A]: It challenges the notion that the meaning is located within the text.
This statement is true. Reader-response criticism argues that a text does not contain active, objective meaning on its own. Instead, meaning is created through the transaction or interaction between the reader and the text during the act of reading.

Statement [B]: It refutes that the author is the originator of meaning.
This statement is true. Traditional literary criticism often looks to the author's biography and intentions to determine a work's meaning. Reader-response theory shifts the focus away from the author's intent, arguing instead that meaning is generated by the reader's interpretation.

Statement [C]: It sees the reader as a source of meaning.
This statement is true. Since reader-response criticism maintains that a text is merely ink on paper until it is read, the reader is considered an active agent who completes the text's meaning. The reader's background, experiences, and cultural context shape how the text is understood.

Statement [D]: It treats the text as self sufficient.
This statement is false. Treating a text as self-sufficient is a hallmark of Formalism or New Criticism (which focuses entirely on the text itself, independent of external factors like the author or reader). Reader-response criticism rejects this idea because it views the text as incomplete without the reader's participation.

Statement [E]: It appreciates the texts that are historical.
This statement is false. While some reader-response theorists (such as Hans Robert Jauss) consider the historical reception of texts, the core methodology of reader-response criticism does not prioritize or focus on appreciating texts based on their historical nature. That is the primary concern of historicism or new historicism.

Therefore, only statements [A], [B], and [C] are correct, making A, B and C only the correct option.