The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes Summary

The Death of the Author Summary

French literary critic Roland Barthes first used the phrase “The Death of the Author” in his essay of the same name from 1967. It claims that once a text is published, it loses its connection to the author’s intentions and becomes subject to reader interpretation. This idea challenges the conventional idea that the author is the only authority and interpreter of their work. According to Barthes, the identity and purposes of the author are neither fixed nor knowable, and literature is a synthesis of many voices that transcend individual authorship. According to Barthes, literature is a neutral space where various voices interact and the idea of a single, all-knowing author is questioned. The act of reading becomes crucial in creating meaning from a text along with the reader’s personal experiences, viewpoints, and cultural background.

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