death of the author

E678785

Death of the author is a literary theory concept arguing that a text’s meaning is determined by readers rather than the intentions or biography of its writer.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
death of the author canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf critical theory concept ⓘ
interpretive theory ⓘ
literary theory concept ⓘ
arguesAgainst privileging authorial intention in interpretation ⓘ
treating the author as the final authority on meaning ⓘ
arguesThat meaning is produced in the act of reading ⓘ
texts have multiple possible meanings ⓘ
the author is a function rather than a sovereign origin of meaning ⓘ
associatedWith Roland Barthes ⓘ
challenges author‑centered hermeneutics ⓘ
biographical criticism ⓘ
contrastedWith New Criticism’s focus on the text alone ⓘ
biographical approaches to literature ⓘ
criticizedBy author‑intentionalist critics ⓘ
some historicist scholars ⓘ
criticizedFor downplaying historical context ⓘ
neglecting the material conditions of authorship ⓘ
emphasizes readerly interpretation over authorial intention ⓘ
formulatedIn 20th century ⓘ
hasConsequence legitimizes diverse and conflicting interpretations ⓘ
shifts critical focus from production to reception ⓘ
hasCoreIdea authorial biography should not govern interpretation ⓘ
the meaning of a text is not determined by the author’s intentions ⓘ
the reader plays a central role in creating textual meaning ⓘ
influenced adaptation studies ⓘ
contemporary literary criticism ⓘ
cultural studies ⓘ
fan studies ⓘ
influencedBy French postwar theory ⓘ
semiotics ⓘ
structuralist linguistics ⓘ
keyText "La mort de l’auteur" ⓘ
"The Death of the Author" essay ⓘ
opposes intentional fallacy ⓘ
relatedConcept author function ⓘ
open text ⓘ
readerly and writerly texts ⓘ
relatedTo deconstruction ⓘ
postmodern literary theory ⓘ
poststructuralism ⓘ
reader‑response theory ⓘ
structuralism ⓘ
supportsView interpretive authority is decentralized ⓘ
texts can exceed what authors consciously intend ⓘ
usedIn film studies ⓘ
literary studies ⓘ
media studies ⓘ
philosophy of literature ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Roland Barthes → notableConcept → death of the author ⓘ