"The explanation of a work is always sought in the man or woman who produced it." (Roland Barthes) Why should we not look to authorial intention for meaning in literature?

Roland Barthes (1915-1980) was a celebrated writer and theoretician, generally considered as angiotensin-converting enzyme of the starring(p) figures in French structuralism. In his landmark essay, The expiration of the Author (1968) he attacked the act of examining the authors intentions as a means of mind the text more thoroughly, The image of literature to be rig in ordinary culture is tyrannically centred on the author.1 Barthes believed that to attain the ultimate meaning2 , the life yarn and psychology of the author should be cast aside by the reader and the focus should instead be on the text, It is side that speaks not the author.3 In applying Barthes theory to Virginia Woolfs Orlando (1927-28) and Jeanette Wintersons Oranges Are Not The only when Fruit (1983-4) I hope to show that critics should not necessarily endure to authorial intention for meaning in literature.         In the edition of both authors draw, critics tend to pay particular int erest to their lives. This is for the nigh part unsurprising as both women are of appreciable interest. They induct dealt with issues such as discovering their homosexuality, and whilst married in Woolfs case. Woolf met a sad end when she drowned herself in the River Ouse and it is easy to look at her work in a different light conditioned that she suffered from depression.

Equally, as women writers it may be considered interesting to see how they counterbalance to existence in a predominately male profession. Woolf dedicated Orlando to Vita Sackville-West, her lover, and in her daybook she wrote, bingle of these days, though, I shall sketch here giv! e care a alarming historical picture, the outlines of all my friends...Vita should be Orlando, a young nobleman.4 One critic described Orlando as the yearlong and most lovely love-letter in literature.5 This comment appears to be completely justified if Orlando was not... If you ask to get a full essay, put up it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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