Relationship Between Text Responder and Creator

The relationship between a between a text creator, the text and the text responder is dependant on how the creator chooses to construct a text, how they choose to tell it, and the degree of honesty and openness with which they create it with. The relationship mirrors that of a leader (text creator) and a follower (text responder). The text itself acts as the link between the two, enabling the creator's ideas and constructed version of reality to be transferred through to the responder. This then means that as a responder I often find myself relying solely on the creator to provide me with a version of reality where I know the boundaries, allowing me to find my own truths within it. The relationships surrounding a text, its creator and its responder also deal with issues about truth and how the truth is constructed. If we can no longer rely on the reality with which we are presented with, how can we then find our own truths within it? The film Stranger Than Fiction, (2000) directed by Marc Foster, explores the complex relationships between text creator and responder, following the life of an seemingly average man by the name of Harold Crick. However as the lines between reality and fantasy become increasingly blurry in Harold's life, the honesty and openness of his relationships becomes evident. These relationships are a stark variation to the relationships in the novel, The Turning, (2004) written by Tim Winton, which consists of a compilation of intertwining short stories, where the main characters all struggle to hold together dysfunctional relationships with each other. However, differences aside, both texts show the significance of how a text is constructed, and the power with which the creator holds being able to divulge it however they please.

The text creator holds the power to produce a whole new reality and using the text that they have created are able to take the responder on a journey within that reality. While the responder has some small power in that they can choose how they react to the creator's choice of construction, they have no control over how the story unfolds or the events that take place. This is evident in the case of Harold Crick, from Stranger Than Fiction, who characters role is synonymous to that of a text responder. Karen Eiffel, the neurotic writer, unknowingly decides Harold's life for him. This can be related back to the concept of a text creator and responder where Eiffel is basically using the text to take Harold on a journey of which he has no control over the final outcome. The relationships between these key identities also deal with issues and ideas on construction of truth. As the creator of a text there is the ability to build your own reality and within that your own truths. As a text responder, I find that I have no power in how a story unfolds, only how I choose to respond to the events; hence the title 'responder'. Like the creator, the responder is also able to find their own personal truths from within the given text; however it is highly improbable that their truths are an exact mirror of the creators because the truth is a construction from our own individual version of reality. The text acts as the means to obtain the truth. It is the key element connecting the creator and responder, allowing the creators ideas to be passed on to the responder. While the text has absolutely no ability or authority to choose how it is constructed, the text is the crucial link that makes all resulting relationships possible.

A significant element of how a text is constructed is the way in which it is told. For instance, the creator may choose to conceal a character's relevance, only revealing it when they see fit either for maximum impact or convenience. When reading The Turning I found it difficult to understand Winton's choices when ordering the short stories. Connections between certain key

...