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.

To understand why these statements are correct, let us analyze the core tenets of Reader-Response Criticism:
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 that focus primarily on the author or the text itself.

Let us evaluate each statement individually:
[A] It challenges the notion that the meaning is located within the text:
Traditional literary theories, such as New Criticism, argue that a text possesses a singular, objective meaning residing entirely within its pages. Reader-Response Criticism directly challenges this by arguing that a text is merely ink on paper until a reader interacts with it, meaning is created through the act of reading.
[B] It refutes that the author is the originator of meaning:
This theory moves away from the "intentional fallacy" (the belief that the author's intended meaning is the only correct interpretation). It suggests that the author does not have complete control over how a text is interpreted, and therefore is not the sole originator of its meaning.
[C] It sees the reader as a source of meaning:
At the heart of reader-response theory is the belief that the reader is an active agent who helps "create" the meaning of the text. Each reader brings their own personal experiences, cultural background, and beliefs, which actively shape their interpretation of the work.

Why the other statements are incorrect:
[D] It treats the text as self-sufficient: This is a characteristic of New Criticism, which insists on analyzing the text in isolation from external factors, including the reader. Reader-Response Criticism rejects this self-sufficiency.
[E] It appreciates the texts that are historical: While reader-response theorists may consider historical contexts of reading (such as Hans Robert Jauss's reception theory), appreciating historical texts is not a defining general principle of reader-response criticism in the way that statements A, B, and C are.

Therefore, statements A, B, and C are the only true statements regarding reader-response criticism.