Brooke Marcy

 

Summery of the essay “The Death of the Author” by Roland Barthes

 

 

In his essay, “The Death of the Author”, Roland Barthes begins by arguing that the physical act of writing is the beginning of the death of the author.  He points out that the author has not always been perceived as an important individual creating a singular consciousness spoken directly to the reader. Instead, the author was viewed as a mediator for narrative thought.  He then contradicts the current concept of revering the author by looking at Mallaime, who argues that it is not the author that controls language but language that controls the author. So when reading a text, it is not the voice of the author that is heard but actually the voice of the language.

 

Barthes also notes that if one believes in the concept of the author, then the author could be considered the beginning of the work and the work itself the end. The author lives within the creation, not the other way around.  He uses Proust and an example of an author who lived his life based on his work, as apposed to his work being based on his life. This supports the idea that the author is nothing more than the language. If true, one could imply that writing has no other origin than language, and the concept of author is nothing more than a myth.

 

Barthes defines language and text as being a derivative form of communication developed by varying cultures; thus language itself is a reflection of culture.  He argues that writing is just words defined by words cumulating in indefinite combinations.  This being true, no author is ever capable of writing something completely original. The author is simply regurgitating what already exists. It is the limits of the author’s understanding of language that limits the text, which brings in the voice of critic to point out the weakness.

 

Barthes next looks at Balzac who believes that it is not the author who gives voice to the writing but really the reader.  The text, comprised of language created by cultures, is only given meaning when it is read and interpreted.  Without the reader bringing his or her consciousness to the text, there is no meaning. 

 

Do Barthes observations apply to his own writing?