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Barthes Analysis

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Submitted By kannu1939
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Of all the books that I have read during my life, the book that would serve as a good example to express Barthes’s concepts is To Kill a Mockingbird. Written by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the year 1962 in a small town in Alabama. The story is centered on how a white lawyer (Atticus Finch) and his family (Jem and Scout) are being belittled by their community for supporting a black man in court. The use of this book in many high school English classes as a classic example of prejudice and racism has led to only one interpretation of the novel and in extension the author herself. According to Barthes this book, is made of “multiple writing, drawn from many cultures”: a protagonist fight for justice and an antagonist trying to blame the innocent. In high school, the instructor conditions their students to analyze the book with the author in mind, which (according to Barthes) limits the interpretations of the text.
From reading The Death of the Author, I have gained a wider appreciation for the reader and the author. I agree with Barthes when he states that the reader and the reader’s interpretation and understanding of a text the important part. Even though Barthes argues that a text should be understood and analyzed by the readers using their past experiences, I believe that the presence of the author is required at least some times. If the author writes a text that requires a detailed understanding of the author’s past experience, then the author must not die but, according to Barthes, must take the form of a scriptor. Works Cited
Atchinon, Jacquelyn. "Critical Analysis of Roland Barthes "The Death of the Author"" Jacquelynatchinson.wordpres.com. Wordpress, Nov. 2011. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.
Barthes, Roland. "Death of the Author." Roland Barthes Death of the Author. Deathoftheauthor.com, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.
Robinson, Andrew. "An A to Z of Theory: Roland Barthes: Death of the Author." Ceasefire.com. N.p., 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

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