Answer:
I think it would be all of the above, if you could provide a passage with the question it would be helpful. But I'm not 100% sure if it would be all of the above.
The specific aspect of literary criticism that demonstrates the author's message as significant or worthwhile is the author-based approach. It is also called the Expressive Theory. It depicts that the best interpretation of a text (poem, novel, fictional stories, etc) comes from the author himself.
The reader-based approach is not entirely reliable because every reader may see a text in a different perspective. There are even cases wherein readers interpret a text in a deep, deep way while the author meant everything in the literal sense. Everything varies from case to case.
<span>The best statement that describes or designates the irony of Mr. Shiftlet’s statement is this is as an alternative of remaining at the plantation, where he can see sunsets like these for the rest of his life, he runs away with Mrs. Crater's car and money.</span>