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RolandBarthes
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

RolandGrardBarthes(/brt/[3]French:[l
bat]12
[4]
November191526March 1980)wasaFrenchliterary
theorist,philosopher,linguist,critic,andsemiotician.
Barthes'ideasexploredadiverserangeoffieldsandhe
influencedthedevelopmentofschoolsoftheoryincluding
structuralism,semiotics,socialtheory,designtheory,
anthropologyandpoststructuralism.

RolandGrardBarthes

Contents
1 Life
2 Writingsandideas
2.1 Earlythought
2.2 Semioticsandmyth
2.3 Structuralismanditslimits
2.4 Transition
2.5 TextualityandS/Z
2.6 Neutralandnovelisticwriting
2.7 PhotographyandHenrietteBarthes
2.8 Posthumouspublications
3 Influence
4 Keyterms
4.1 Readerlytext
4.2 Writerlytext
4.3 TheAuthorandthescriptor
5 Criticism
6 Inpopularculture
7 Bibliography
8 References
9 Furtherreading
10 Externallinks

Life

Born

12November1915
Cherbourg,France

Died

26March1980(aged64)
Paris,France

Almamater

UniversityofParis(MA,1941)

Era

20thcenturyphilosophy

Region

WesternPhilosophy

School

Structuralism
Semiotics
Poststructuralism

Maininterests Semiotics
Literarytheory
Narratology
Linguistics
Notableideas Structuralanalysisofnarratives[1]
Deathoftheauthor
Writingdegreezero
Effectofreality
Influences
Influenced

RolandBartheswasbornon12November1915inthetown
Signature
ofCherbourginNormandy.Hewasthesonofnavalofficer
LouisBarthes,whowaskilledinabattleduringWorldWarI
intheNorthSeabeforehissonwasoneyearold.Hismother,
HenrietteBarthes,andhisauntandgrandmotherraisedhim
inthevillageofUrtandthecityofBayonne.WhenBarthes
waseleven,hisfamilymovedtoParis,thoughhisattachmenttohisprovincialrootswouldremainstrong
throughouthislife.
Barthesshowedgreatpromiseasastudentandspenttheperiodfrom1935to1939attheSorbonne,wherehe
earnedalicenseinclassicalletters.Hewasplaguedbyillhealththroughoutthisperiod,sufferingfrom
tuberculosis,whichoftenhadtobetreatedintheisolationofsanatoria.[5]Hisrepeatedphysicalbreakdowns
disruptedhisacademiccareer,affectinghisstudiesandhisabilitytotakequalifyingexaminations.Theyalso
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exemptedhimfrommilitaryserviceduringWorldWarII.WhilebeingkeptoutofthemajorFrenchuniversities
meantthathehadtotravelagreatdealforteachingpositions,Bartheslaterprofessedanintentionalavoidance
ofmajordegreeawardinguniversities,anddidsothroughouthiscareer.
Hislifefrom1939to1948waslargelyspentobtainingalicenseingrammarandphilology,publishinghisfirst
papers,takingpartinamedicalstudy,andcontinuingtostrugglewithhishealth.Hereceivedadiplme
d'tudessuprieures(roughlyequivalenttoanMAthesis)fromtheUniversityofParisin1941forhisworkin
Greektragedy.[6]In1948,hereturnedtopurelyacademicwork,gainingnumerousshorttermpositionsat
institutesinFrance,Romania,andEgypt.Duringthistime,hecontributedtotheleftistParisianpaperCombat,
outofwhichgrewhisfirstfulllengthwork,WritingDegreeZero(1953).In1952,BarthessettledattheCentre
NationaldelaRechercheScientifique,wherehestudiedlexicologyandsociology.Duringhissevenyearperiod
there,hebegantowriteapopularseriesofbimonthlyessaysforthemagazineLesLettresNouvelles,inwhich
hedismantledmythsofpopularculture(gatheredintheMythologiescollectionthatwaspublishedin1957).
KnowinglittleEnglish,BarthestaughtatMiddleburyCollegein1957andbefriendedthefutureEnglish
translatorofmuchofhiswork,RichardHoward,thatsummerinNewYorkCity.[7]
Barthesspenttheearly1960sexploringthefieldsofsemiologyandstructuralism,chairingvariousfaculty
positionsaroundFrance,andcontinuingtoproducemorefulllengthstudies.Manyofhisworkschallenged
traditionalacademicviewsofliterarycriticismandofrenownedfiguresofliterature.Hisunorthodoxthinking
ledtoaconflictwithawellknownSorbonneprofessorofliterature,RaymondPicard,whoattackedtheFrench
NewCriticism(alabelthatheinaccuratelyappliedtoBarthes)foritsobscurityandlackofrespecttowards
France'sliteraryroots.Barthes'rebuttalinCriticismandTruth(1966)accusedtheold,bourgeoiscriticismofa
lackofconcernwiththefinerpointsoflanguageandofselectiveignorancetowardschallengingtheories,such
asMarxism.
Bythelate1960s,Bartheshadestablishedareputationforhimself.HetraveledtotheUSandJapan,delivering
apresentationatJohnsHopkinsUniversity.Duringthistime,hewrotehisbestknownwork,the1967essay
"TheDeathoftheAuthor,"which,inlightofthegrowinginfluenceofJacquesDerrida'sdeconstruction,would
provetobeatransitionalpieceinitsinvestigationofthelogicalendsofstructuralistthought.Barthescontinued
tocontributewithPhilippeSollerstotheavantgardeliterarymagazineTelQuel,whichwasdevelopingsimilar
kindsoftheoreticalinquirytothatpursuedinBarthes'writings.In1970,Barthesproducedwhatmanyconsider
tobehismostprodigiouswork,thedense,criticalreadingofBalzac'sSarrasineentitledS/Z.Throughoutthe
1970s,Barthescontinuedtodevelophisliterarycriticismhedevelopednewidealsoftextualityandnovelistic
neutrality.In1971,heservedasvisitingprofessorattheUniversityofGeneva.
In1975hewroteanautobiographytitledRolandBarthesandin1977hewaselectedtothechairofSmiologie
LittraireattheCollgedeFrance.Inthesameyear,hismother,HenrietteBarthes,towhomhehadbeen
devoted,died,aged85.Theyhadlivedtogetherfor60years.Thelossofthewomanwhohadraisedandcared
forhimwasaseriousblowtoBarthes.Hislastmajorwork,CameraLucida,ispartlyanessayaboutthenature
ofphotographyandpartlyameditationonphotographsofhismother.Thebookcontainsmanyreproductionsof
photographs,thoughnoneofthemareofHenriette.
On25February1980,RolandBartheswasknockeddownbyalaundryvanwhilewalkinghomethroughthe
streetsofParis.Onemonthlaterhesuccumbedtothechestinjuriessustainedinthataccident.[8]

Writingsandideas
Earlythought
Barthes'searliestideasreactedtothetrendofexistentialistphilosophythatwasprominentinFranceduringthe
1940s,specificallytothefigureheadofexistentialism,JeanPaulSartre.Sartre'sWhatIsLiterature?(1947)
expressesadisenchantmentbothwithestablishedformsofwritingandmoreexperimental,avantgardeforms,
whichhefeelsalienatereaders.Barthesresponsewastotrytodiscoverthatwhichmaybeconsideredunique
andoriginalinwriting.InWritingDegreeZero(1953),Barthesarguesthatconventionsinformbothlanguage
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andstyle,renderingneitherpurelycreative.Instead,form,orwhatBarthescalls"writing"(thespecificwayan
individualchoosestomanipulateconventionsofstyleforadesiredeffect),istheuniqueandcreativeact.A
writer'sformisvulnerabletobecomingaconvention,however,onceithasbeenmadeavailabletothepublic.
Thismeansthatcreativityisanongoingprocessofcontinualchangeandreaction.
InMichelet,acriticalanalysisoftheFrenchhistorianJulesMichelet,Barthesdevelopedthesenotions,applying
themtoabroaderrangeoffields.HearguedthatMichelet'sviewsofhistoryandsocietyareobviouslyflawed.
Instudyinghiswritings,hecontinued,oneshouldnotseektolearnfromMichelet'sclaimsrather,oneshould
maintainacriticaldistanceandlearnfromhiserrors,sinceunderstandinghowandwhyhisthinkingisflawed
willshowmoreabouthisperiodofhistorythanhisownobservations.Similarly,Barthesfeltthatavantgarde
writingshouldbepraisedforitsmaintenanceofjustsuchadistancebetweenitsaudienceanditself.In
presentinganobviousartificialityratherthanmakingclaimstogreatsubjectivetruths,Barthesargued,avant
gardewritersensurethattheiraudiencesmaintainanobjectiveperspective.Inthissense,Barthesbelievedthat
artshouldbecriticalandshouldinterrogatetheworld,ratherthanseektoexplainit,asMichelethaddone.

Semioticsandmyth
Barthes'smanymonthlycontributionsthatwerecollectedinhisMythologies(1957)frequentlyinterrogated
specificculturalmaterialsinordertoexposehowbourgeoissocietyasserteditsvaluesthroughthem.For
example,theportrayalofwineinFrenchsocietyasarobustandhealthyhabitisabourgeoisidealthatis
contradictedbycertainrealities(i.e.,thatwinecanbeunhealthyandinebriating).Hefoundsemiotics,thestudy
ofsigns,usefulintheseinterrogations.Barthesexplainedthatthesebourgeoisculturalmythswere"second
ordersigns,"or"connotations."Apictureofafull,darkbottleisasignifierthatrelatestoaspecificsignified:a
fermented,alcoholicbeverage.However,thebourgeoisierelateittoanewsignified:theideaofhealthy,robust,
relaxingexperience.Motivationsforsuchmanipulationsvary,fromadesiretosellproductstoasimpledesire
tomaintainthestatusquo.TheseinsightsbroughtBarthesinlinewithsimilarMarxisttheory.
InTheFashionSystemBarthesshowedhowthisadulterationofsignscouldeasilybetranslatedintowords.In
thisworkheexplainedhowinthefashionworldanywordcouldbeloadedwithidealisticbourgeoisemphasis.
Thus,ifpopularfashionsaysthatablouseisidealforacertainsituationorensemble,thisideaisimmediately
naturalizedandacceptedastruth,eventhoughtheactualsigncouldjustaseasilybeinterchangeablewith
skirt,vestoranynumberofcombinations.IntheendBarthes'Mythologiesbecameabsorbedintobourgeois
culture,ashefoundmanythirdpartiesaskinghimtocommentonacertainculturalphenomenon,being
interestedinhiscontroloverhisreadership.Thisturnofeventscausedhimtoquestiontheoverallutilityof
demystifyingcultureforthemasses,thinkingitmightbeafruitlessattempt,anddrovehimdeeperinhissearch
forindividualisticmeaninginart.

Structuralismanditslimits
AsBarthes'workwithstructuralismbegantoflourisharoundthetimeofhisdebateswithPicard,his
investigationofstructurefocusedonrevealingtheimportanceoflanguageinwriting,whichhefeltwas
overlookedbyoldcriticism.Barthes'"IntroductiontotheStructuralAnalysisofNarratives"isconcernedwith
examiningthecorrespondencebetweenthestructureofasentenceandthatofalargernarrative,thusallowing
narrativetobeviewedalonglinguisticlines.Barthessplitthisworkintothreehierarchicallevels:functions,
actionsandnarrative.Functionsaretheelementarypiecesofawork,suchasasingledescriptivewordthat
canbeusedtoidentifyacharacter.Thatcharacterwouldbeanaction,andconsequentlyoneoftheelements
thatmakeupthenarrative.Bartheswasabletousethesedistinctionstoevaluatehowcertainkeyfunctions
workinformingcharacters.Forexample,keywordslikedark,mysteriousandodd,whenintegrated
together,formulateaspecifickindofcharacteroraction.Bybreakingdowntheworkintosuchfundamental
distinctionsBartheswasabletojudgethedegreeofrealismgivenfunctionshaveinformingtheiractionsand
consequentlywithwhatauthenticityanarrativecanbesaidtoreflectonreality.Thus,hisstructuralist
theorizingbecameanotherexerciseinhisongoingattemptstodissectandexposethemisleadingmechanismsof
bourgeoisculture.

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WhileBarthesfoundstructuralismtobeausefultoolandbelievedthatdiscourseofliteraturecouldbe
formalized,hedidnotbelieveitcouldbecomeastrictscientificendeavour.Inthelate1960s,radical
movementsweretakingplaceinliterarycriticism.Thepoststructuralistmovementandthedeconstructionism
ofJacquesDerridaweretestingtheboundsofthestructuralisttheorythatBarthes'workexemplified.Derrida
identifiedtheflawofstructuralismasitsrelianceonatranscendentalsignifierasymbolofconstant,universal
meaningwouldbeessentialasanorientingpointinsuchaclosedoffsystem.Thisistosaythatwithoutsome
regularstandardofmeasurement,asystemofcriticismthatreferencesnothingoutsideoftheactualworkitself
couldneverproveuseful.Butsincetherearenosymbolsofconstantanduniversalsignificance,theentire
premiseofstructuralismasameansofevaluatingwriting(oranything)ishollow.

Transition
SuchthoughtledBarthestoconsiderthelimitationsnotjustofsignsandsymbols,butalsoofWesternculture's
dependencyonbeliefsofconstancyandultimatestandards.HetravelledtoJapanin1966wherehewrote
EmpireofSigns(publishedin1970),ameditationonJapaneseculture'scontentmentintheabsenceofasearch
foratranscendentalsignifier.HenotesthatinJapanthereisnoemphasisonagreatfocuspointbywhichto
judgeallotherstandards,describingthecentreofTokyo,theEmperor'sPalace,asnotagreatoverbearing
entity,butasilentandnondescriptpresence,avoidedandunconsidered.Assuch,Barthesreflectsontheability
ofsignsinJapantoexistfortheirownmerit,retainingonlythesignificancenaturallyimbuedbytheir
signifiers.SuchasocietycontrastsgreatlytotheonehedissectedinMythologies,whichwasrevealedtobe
alwaysassertingagreater,morecomplexsignificanceontopofthenaturalone.
InthewakeofthistripBartheswrotewhatislargelyconsideredtobehisbestknownwork,theessay"The
DeathoftheAuthor"(1968).Barthessawthenotionoftheauthor,orauthorialauthority,inthecriticismof
literarytextastheforcedprojectionofanultimatemeaningofthetext.Byimagininganultimateintended
meaningofapieceofliteratureonecouldinferanultimateexplanationforit.ButBarthespointsoutthatthe
greatproliferationofmeaninginlanguageandtheunknowablestateoftheauthor'smindmakesanysuch
ultimaterealizationimpossible.Assuch,thewholenotionoftheknowabletextactsaslittlemorethananother
delusionofWesternbourgeoisculture.Indeed,theideaofgivingabookorpoemanultimateendcoincides
withthenotionofmakingitconsumable,somethingthatcanbeusedupandreplacedinacapitalistmarket.
"TheDeathoftheAuthor"isconsideredtobeapoststructuralistwork,[9]sinceitmovespasttheconventions
oftryingtoquantifyliterature,butothersseeitasmoreofatransitionalphaseforBarthesinhiscontinuing
efforttofindsignificanceincultureoutsideofthebourgeoisnorms.Indeed,thenotionoftheauthorbeing
irrelevantwasalreadyafactorofstructuralistthinking.

TextualityandS/Z
SinceBarthescontendsthattherecanbenooriginatinganchorofmeaninginthepossibleintentionsofthe
author,heconsiderswhatothersourcesofmeaningorsignificancecanbefoundinliterature.Heconcludesthat
sincemeaningcantcomefromtheauthor,itmustbeactivelycreatedbythereaderthroughaprocessoftextual
analysis.InhisS/Z(1970),BarthesappliesthisnotioninananalysisofashortstorybyBalzaccalledSarrasine.
Theendresultwasareadingthatestablishedfivemajorcodesfordeterminingvariouskindsofsignificance,
withnumerouslexiasthroughoutthetexta"lexia"herebeingdefinedasaunitofthetextchosenarbitrarily
(toremainmethodologicallyunbiasedaspossible)forfurtheranalysis.[10]Thecodesledhimtodefinethestory
ashavingacapacityforpluralityofmeaning,limitedbyitsdependenceuponstrictlysequentialelements(such
asadefinitetimelinethathastobefollowedbythereaderandthusrestrictstheirfreedomofanalysis).From
thisprojectBarthesconcludesthatanidealtextisonethatisreversible,oropentothegreatestvarietyof
independentinterpretationsandnotrestrictiveinmeaning.Atextcanbereversiblebyavoidingtherestrictive
devicesthatSarrasinesufferedfromsuchasstricttimelinesandexactdefinitionsofevents.Hedescribesthisas
thedifferencebetweenthewriterlytext,inwhichthereaderisactiveinacreativeprocess,andareaderlytextin
whichtheyarerestrictedtojustreading.TheprojecthelpedBarthesidentifywhatitwashesoughtinliterature:
anopennessforinterpretation.

Neutralandnovelisticwriting
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Inthelate1970sBartheswasincreasinglyconcernedwiththeconflictoftwotypesoflanguage:thatofpopular
culture,whichhesawaslimitingandpigeonholinginitstitlesanddescriptions,andneutral,whichhesawas
openandnoncommittal.HecalledthesetwoconflictingmodestheDoxaandtheParadoxa.WhileBartheshad
sharedsympathieswithMarxistthoughtinthepast(oratleastparallelcriticisms),hefeltthat,despiteitsanti
ideologicalstance,Marxisttheorywasjustasguiltyofusingviolentlanguagewithassertivemeanings,aswas
bourgeoisliterature.InthiswaytheywerebothDoxaandbothculturallyassimilating.Asareactiontothishe
wroteThePleasureoftheText(1975),astudythatfocusedonasubjectmatterhefeltwasequallyoutsidethe
realmofbothconservativesocietyandmilitantleftistthinking:hedonism.Bywritingaboutasubjectthatwas
rejectedbybothsocialextremesofthought,Barthesfelthecouldavoidthedangersofthelimitinglanguageof
theDoxa.Thetheoryhedevelopedoutofthisfocusclaimedthat,whilereadingforpleasureisakindofsocial
act,throughwhichthereaderexposeshim/herselftotheideasofthewriter,thefinalcatharticclimaxofthis
pleasurablereading,whichhetermedtheblissinreadingorjouissance,isapointinwhichonebecomeslost
withinthetext.Thislossofselfwithinthetextorimmersioninthetext,signifiesafinalimpactofreadingthat
isexperiencedoutsidethesocialrealmandfreefromtheinfluenceofculturallyassociativelanguageandisthus
neutralwithregardtosocialprogress.
Despitethisnewesttheoryofreading,Barthesremainedconcernedwiththedifficultyofachievingtrulyneutral
writing,whichrequiredanavoidanceofanylabelsthatmightcarryanimpliedmeaningoridentitytowardsa
givenobject.Evencarefullycraftedneutralwritingcouldbetakeninanassertivecontextthroughtheincidental
useofawordwithaloadedsocialcontext.Barthesfelthispastworks,likeMythologies,hadsufferedfromthis.
Hebecameinterestedinfindingthebestmethodforcreatingneutralwriting,andhedecidedtotrytocreatea
novelisticformofrhetoricthatwouldnotseektoimposeitsmeaningonthereader.Oneproductofthis
endeavorwasALover'sDiscourse:Fragmentsin1977,inwhichhepresentsthefictionalizedreflectionsofa
loverseekingtoidentifyandbeidentifiedbyananonymousamorousother.Theunrequitedlover'ssearchfor
signsbywhichtoshowandreceivelovemakesevidentillusorymythsinvolvedinsuchapursuit.Thelover's
attemptstoasserthimselfintoafalse,idealrealityisinvolvedinadelusionthatexposesthecontradictorylogic
inherentinsuchasearch.Yetatthesametimethenovelisticcharacterisasympatheticone,andisthusopen
notjusttocriticismbutalsounderstandingfromthereader.Theendresultisonethatchallengesthereader's
viewsofsocialconstructsoflove,withouttryingtoassertanydefinitivetheoryofmeaning.

PhotographyandHenrietteBarthes
Throughouthiscareer,Bartheshadaninterestinphotographyanditspotentialtocommunicateactualevents.
Manyofhismonthlymytharticlesinthe50shadattemptedtoshowhowaphotographicimagecouldrepresent
impliedmeaningsandthusbeusedbybourgeoisculturetoinfer'naturalistictruths'.Buthestillconsideredthe
photographtohaveauniquepotentialforpresentingacompletelyrealrepresentationoftheworld.Whenhis
mother,HenrietteBarthes,diedin1977hebeganwritingCameraLucidaasanattempttoexplaintheunique
significanceapictureofherasachildcarriedforhim.Reflectingontherelationshipbetweentheobvious
symbolicmeaningofaphotograph(whichhecalledthestudium)andthatwhichispurelypersonaland
dependentontheindividual,thatwhichpiercestheviewer(whichhecalledthepunctum),Bartheswas
troubledbythefactthatsuchdistinctionscollapsewhenpersonalsignificanceiscommunicatedtoothersand
canhaveitssymboliclogicrationalized.Barthesfoundthesolutiontothisfinelineofpersonalmeaninginthe
formofhismother'spicture.Barthesexplainedthatapicturecreatesafalsenessintheillusionofwhatis,
wherewhatwaswouldbeamoreaccuratedescription.AshadbeenmadephysicalthroughHenriette
Barthes'sdeath,herchildhoodphotographisevidenceofwhathasceasedtobe.Insteadofmakingreality
solid,itremindsusoftheworld'severchangingnature.Becauseofthisthereissomethinguniquelypersonal
containedinthephotographofBarthes'smotherthatcannotberemovedfromhissubjectivestate:therecurrent
feelingoflossexperiencedwheneverhelooksatit.Asoneofhisfinalworksbeforehisdeath,CameraLucida
wasbothanongoingreflectiononthecomplicatedrelationsbetweensubjectivity,meaningandculturalsociety
aswellasatouchingdedicationtohismotheranddescriptionofthedepthofhisgrief.

Posthumouspublications

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Aposthumouscollectionofessayswaspublishedin1987byFranoisWahl,Incidents.[11]Itcontainsfragments
fromhisjournals:hisSoiresdeParis(a1979extractfromhiseroticdiaryoflifeinParis)anearlierdiaryhe
kept(hiseroticencounterswithboysinMorocco)andLightoftheSudOuest(hischildhoodmemoriesofrural
Frenchlife).InNovember2007,YaleUniversityPresspublishedanewtranslationintoEnglish(byRichard
Howard)ofBarthes'slittleknownworkWhatisSport.Thisworkbearsaconsiderableresemblanceto
MythologiesandwasoriginallycommissionedbytheCanadianBroadcastingCorporationasthetextfora
documentaryfilmdirectedbyHubertAquin.
InFebruary2009,ditionsduSeuilpublishedJournaldedeuil(JournalofMourning),basedonBarthes'files
writtenfrom26November1977(thedayfollowinghismother'sdeath)upto15September1979,intimate
notesonhisterribleloss:
The(awesomebutnotpainful)ideathatshehadnotbeeneverythingtome.OtherwiseIwould
neverhavewrittenawork.Sincemytakingcareofherforsixmonthslong,sheactuallyhad
becomeeverythingforme,andItotallyforgotofeverhavewrittenanythingatall.Iwasnothing
morethanhopelesslyhers.BeforethatshehadmadeherselftransparentsothatIcouldwrite....
Mixingupofroles.FormonthslongIhadbeenhermother.IfeltlikeIhadlostadaughter.
Hegrievedhismother'sdeathfortherestofhislife:"Donotsaymourning.It'stoopsychoanalytic.I'mnotin
mourning.I'msuffering."and"Inthecornerofmyroomwhereshehadbeenbedridden,whereshehaddiedand
whereInowsleep,inthewallwhereherheadboardhadstoodagainstIhangedaniconnotoutoffaith.AndI
alwaysputsomeflowersonatable.IdonotwishtotravelanymoresothatImaystayhereandpreventthe
flowersfromwitheringaway."
In2012thebookTravelsinChinawaspublished.ItconsistsofhisnotesfromathreeweektriptoChinahe
undertookwithagroupfromtheliteraryjournalTelQuelin1974.Theexperiencelefthimsomewhat
disappointed,ashefoundChina"notatallexotic,notatalldisorienting".[12]

Influence
RolandBarthes'sincisivecriticismcontributedtothedevelopmentoftheoreticalschoolssuchasstructuralism,
semiotics,andpoststructuralism.Whilehisinfluenceismainlyfoundinthesetheoreticalfieldswithwhichhis
workbroughthimintocontact,itisalsofeltineveryfieldconcernedwiththerepresentationofinformationand
modelsofcommunication,includingcomputers,photography,music,andliterature.Oneconsequenceof
Barthes'breadthoffocusisthathislegacyincludesnofollowingofthinkersdedicatedtomodelingthemselves
afterhim.ThefactthatBarthesworkwaseveradaptingandrefutingnotionsofstabilityandconstancymeans
thereisnocanonofthoughtwithinhistheorytomodelone'sthoughtsupon,andthusno"Barthesism".

Keyterms
ReaderlyandwriterlyaretermsBarthesemploysbothtodelineateonetypeofliteraturefromanotherandto
implicitlyinterrogatewaysofreading,likepositiveornegativehabitsthemodernreaderbringsintoone's
experiencewiththetextitself.ThesetermsaremostexplicitlyfleshedoutinS/Z,whiletheessay"FromWork
toText",fromImageMusicText(1977)providesananalogousparallellookattheactiveandpassive,
postmodernandmodern,waysofinteractingwithatext.

Readerlytext
Atextthatmakesnorequirementofthereaderto"write"or"produce"theirownmeanings.Thereadermay
passivelylocate"readymade"meaning.Bartheswritesthatthesesortsoftextsare"controlledbytheprinciple
ofnoncontradiction"(156),thatis,theydonotdisturbthe"commonsense,"or"Doxa,"ofthesurrounding
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culture.The"readerlytexts,"moreover,"areproducts[that]makeuptheenormousmassofourliterature"(5).
Withinthiscategory,thereisaspectrumof"repleteliterature,"whichcomprises"anyclassic(readerly)texts"
thatwork"likeacupboardwheremeaningsareshelved,stacked,[and]safeguarded"(200).[13]

Writerlytext
Atextthataspirestothepropergoalofliteratureandcriticism:"...tomakethereadernolongeraconsumerbut
aproducerofthetext"(4).Writerlytextsandwaysofreadingconstitute,inshort,anactiveratherthanpassive
wayofinteractingwithacultureanditstexts.Acultureanditstexts,Bartheswrites,shouldneverbeaccepted
intheirgivenformsandtraditions.Asopposedtothe"readerlytexts"as"product,"the"writerlytextis
ourselveswriting,beforetheinfiniteplayoftheworldistraversed,intersected,stopped,plasticizedbysome
singularsystem(Ideology,Genus,Criticism)whichreducesthepluralityofentrances,theopeningofnetworks,
theinfinityoflanguages"(5).ThusreadingbecomesforBarthes"notaparasiticalact,thereactivecomplement
ofawriting,"butrathera"formofwork"(10).

TheAuthorandthescriptor
AuthorandscriptoraretermsBarthesusestodescribedifferentwaysofthinkingaboutthecreatorsoftexts.
"Theauthor"isourtraditionalconceptofthelonegeniuscreatingaworkofliteratureorotherpieceofwriting
bythepowersofhis/heroriginalimagination.ForBarthes,suchafigureisnolongerviable.Theinsights
offeredbyanarrayofmodernthought,includingtheinsightsofSurrealism,haverenderedthetermobsolete.In
placeoftheauthor,themodernworldpresentsuswithafigureBarthescallsthe"scriptor,"whoseonlypoweris
tocombinepreexistingtextsinnewways.Barthesbelievesthatallwritingdrawsonprevioustexts,norms,and
conventions,andthatthesearethethingstowhichwemustturntounderstandatext.Asawayofassertingthe
relativeunimportanceofthewriter'sbiographycomparedtothesetextualandgenericconventions,Barthessays
thatthescriptorhasnopast,butisbornwiththetext.Healsoarguesthat,intheabsenceoftheideaofan
"authorGod"tocontrolthemeaningofawork,interpretivehorizonsareopenedupconsiderablyfortheactive
reader.AsBarthesputsit,"thedeathoftheauthoristhebirthofthereader."[14]

Criticism
In1964,Bartheswrote"TheLastHappyWriter"("Ledernierdescrivainsheureux"inEssaiscritiques),the
titleofwhichreferstoVoltaire.Intheessayhecommentedontheproblemsofthemodernthinkerafter
discoveringtherelativisminthoughtandphilosophy,discreditingpreviousphilosopherswhoavoidedthis
difficulty.DisagreeingroundlywithBarthes'descriptionofVoltaire,DanielGordon,thetranslatorandeditorof
Candide(TheBedfordSeriesinHistoryandCulture),wrotethat"neverhasonebrilliantwritersothoroughly
misunderstoodanother."
ThesinologistSimonLeys,inareviewofBarthes'diaryofatriptoChinaduringtheCulturalRevolution,
disparagesBarthesforhisseemingindifferencetothesituationoftheChinesepeople,andsaysthatBarthes
"hascontrivedamazinglytobestowanentirelynewdignityupontheageoldactivity,solongunjustly
disparaged,ofsayingnothingatgreatlength."[15]

Inpopularculture
Barthes'"ALover'sDiscourse:Fragments"wastheinspirationforthenameof1980snewwaveduoTheLover
Speaks.
JeffreyEugenides's"TheMarriagePlot"drawsoutexcerptsfromBarthes'"ALover'sDiscourse:Fragments"as
awaytodepicttheuniqueintricaciesoflovethatoneofthemaincharacters,MadeleineHanna,experiences
throughoutthenovel.[16]

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InthefilmBirdman(2014)byAlejandroGonzlezIrritu,ajournalistquotestotheprotagonistRiggan
ThompsonanextractfromMythologies:"Theculturalworkdoneinthepastbygodsandepicsagasisnow
donebylaundrydetergentcommercialsandcomicstripcharacters".[17]
InthefilmElegy,basedonPhilipRoth'snovelTheDyingAnimal,thecharacterofConsuela(playedby
PenelopeCruz)isfirstdepictedinthefilmcarryingacopyofBarthes'ThePleasureoftheTextonthecampus
oftheuniversitywheresheisastudent.[18]

Bibliography
Works
(1953)Ledegrzrodel'criture
(1954)Micheletparluimme
(1957)Mythologies,Seuil:Paris.
(1963)SurRacine,EditionsduSeuil:Paris
(1964)lmentsdesmiologie,Communications4,Seuil:Paris.
(1970)L'Empiredessignes,Skira:Paris.
(1970)S/Z,Seuil:Paris.
(1972)LeDegrzrodel'crituresuivideNouveauxessaiscritiques,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1973)Leplaisirdutexte,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1975)RolandBarthes,ditionsduSeuil:Paris
(1977)Potiquedurcit,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1977)Fragmentsd'undiscoursamoureux",Paris
(1978)Prface,LaParoleIntermdiaire,F.Flahault,Seuil:Paris
(1980)RecherchedeProust,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1980)Lachambreclaire:notesurlaphotographie.[Paris]:Cahiersducinma:Gallimard:LeSeuil,
1980.
(1980)Sade,Fourier,Loyola,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1981)Essaiscritiques,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1982)Litratureetralit,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1988)Michelet,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(1993)uvrescompltes,EditionsduSeuil:Paris.
(2009)CarnetsduvoyageenChinebyRolandBarthes.[19]
(2009)JournaldedeuilbyRolandBarthes.[19]
TranslationstoEnglish
TheFashionSystem(1967),UniversityofCaliforniaPress:Berkeley.
WritingDegreeZero(1968),HillandWang:NewYork.ISBN0374521395
ElementsofSemiology(1968),HillandWang:NewYork.
Mythologies(1972),HillandWang:NewYork.
ThePleasureoftheText(1975),HillandWang:NewYork.
S/Z:AnEssay(1975),HillandWang,ISBN0374521670
Sade,Fourier,Loyola(1976),Farrar,StrausandGiroux:NewYork.
ImageMusicText(1977),HillandWang:NewYork.
RolandBarthesbyRolandBarthes(1977)(Inthissocalledautobiography,Barthesinterrogateshimself
asatext.)
TheEiffelTowerandotherMythologies(1979),UniversityofCaliforniaPress:Berkeley.
CameraLucida:ReflectionsonPhotography(1981),HillandWang:NewYork.
CriticalEssays(1972),NorthwesternUniversityPress
ABarthesReader(1982),HillandWang,NewYork.
EmpireofSigns(1983),HillandWang
TheGrainoftheVoice:interviews19621980(1985),JonathanCape:London.
TheResponsibilityofForms:Criticalessaysonmusic,art,andrepresentation(1985),Basil
Blackwell:Oxford.
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TheRustleofLanguage(1986),B.Blackwell:Oxford.
CriticismandTruth(1987),TheAthlonePr.:London.
Michelet(1987),B.Blackwell:Oxford.
WriterSollers(1987),UniversityofMinnesotaPress:Minneapolis.
RolandBarthes(1988),MacmillanPr.:London.
ALover'sDiscourse:Fragments(1990),PenguinBooks:London.
NewCriticalEssays(1990),UniversityofCaliforniaPress:Berkeley.
Incidents(1992),UniversityofCaliforniaPress:Berkeley.
OnRacine(1992),UniversityofCaliforniaPress:Berkeley
TheSemioticChallenge(1994),UniversityofCaliforniaPressBerkeley.
TheNeutral:LectureCourseattheCollgedeFrance(19771978)(2005),ColumbiaUniversity
Press:NewYork.
TheLanguageofFashion(2006),Sydney:PowerPublications.
WhatisSport(2007),YaleUniversityPress:LondonandNewHaven.ISBN9780300116045
MourningDiary(2010),HillandWang:NewYork.
ThePreparationoftheNovel:LectureCoursesandSeminarsattheCollgedeFrance(19781979and
19791980)(2011),ColumbiaUniversityPress:NewYork.
HowToLiveTogether:NotesforaLectureCourseandSeminarattheCollgedeFrance(19761977)
(2013),ColumbiaUniversityPress:NewYork.

References
1.RolandBarthes,"Introductionl'analysestructuraledesrcits"(http://www.persee.fr/doc/comm_05888018_1966_nu
m_8_1_1113),Communications,8(1),1966,pp.127,translatedas"IntroductiontotheStructuralAnalysisof
Narratives",in:RolandBarthes,ImageMusicText,essaysselectedandtranslatedbyStephenHeath,NewYork
1977,pp.79124.
2.RdaBensmaa,TheBarthesEffect:TheEssayasReflectiveText,UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1987,p.112n.74:
"Onallthesepages[ofLeplaisirdutexte],BarthesrefersdirectlytoNietzschewhomhequotes,mentions,or
"translates"freely.."
3."Barthes"(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/barthes).RandomHouseWebster'sUnabridgedDictionary.
4.RolandA.Champagne,LiteraryHistoryintheWakeofRolandBarthes:ReDefiningtheMythsofReading(https://bo
oks.google.com/books?id=6gJ8LjAZvAC&dq=),SummaPublications,Inc.,1984,p.vii.
5.BenRogers(8January1995)."ROLANDBARTHES:ABiographybyLouisJeanCalvet".TheIndependent.
6.AlanD.Schrift,TwentiethCenturyFrenchPhilosophy:KeyThemesandThinkers,JohnWiley&Sons,Feb4,2009,
p.94.
7.RichardHoward."RememberingRolandBarthes,"TheNation(November20,1982):"Mutualfriendsbroughtus
togetherin1957.Hecametomydoorinthesummerofthatyear,disconcertedbyhisclassesatMiddlebury(teaching
studentsunaccustomedtoavisitorwithnoEnglishtospeakof)andbearing,bywayofintroduction,afreshprinted
copyofMythologies.(MicheletandWritingDegreeZerohadalreadybeenpublishedinFrance,buthewasnotyet
knowninAmericanoteveninmostFrenchdepartments.Middleburywasenterprising.)"ReprintedinSignsin
Culture:RolandBarthesToday,editedbyStevenUngarandBettyR.McGraw,UniversityofIowaPress,1989,p.32
(ISBN0877452458).
8.J.Y.Smith(27March1980)."RolandBarthes,FrenchWriter,diesat64".TheWashingtonPost.
9.JayClayton,EricRothstein,InfluenceandIntertextualityinLiteraryHistory,UniversityofWisconsinPress,1991,
p.156.
10.Barthes,Roland(1974).S/V.NewYork:BlackwellPublishing.p.13.ISBN0631176071.
11.JonathanCuller,Barthes:AVeryShortIntroduction,OxfordandNewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1983,p.110
12.DoraZhang(23June2012)."TheSidewaysGaze:RolandBarthes'sTravelsinChina".LosAngelesReviewofBooks.
13.Barthes,Roland.S/Z:AnEssay.Trans.RichardMiller.NewYork:HillandWang,1974.
14.Barthes,Roland.ImageMusicText.EssaysselectedandtranslatedbyStephenHeath.NewYork:Noonday,1977.
15.Leys,SimonTheHallofUselessness:CollectedEssays,NewYork,NewYorkReviewBooks,2013.
16."TheEuphoriaofInfluence:JeffreyEugenides'sTheMarriagePlot".Publicbooks.org.20111110.Retrieved
20121229.
17.http://www.ew.com/article/2014/10/10/7secretsbirdmanlabyrinth
18.ManohlaDargis,"ExtracurricularLessonsforStudentandTeacher(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/movies/08el
eg.html),"reviewofElegy,NewYorkTimes,August8,2008,accessedon1292015:OfthecharacterofConsuela,
Dargiswrites,"Shewashisstudentandripefortheplucking,especiallyinthefilm,wheresheentersclutching
RolandBarthes's"PleasureoftheText"toherlushbosom."
19.MichaelWood(19November2009)."PresenceofMind".LondonReviewofBooks.
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Furtherreading
Allen,Graham.RolandBarthes.London:Routledge,2003
RdaBensmaa,TheBarthesEffect:TheEssayasReflectiveText,trans.PatFedkiew,Minneapolis:
UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1987.
LucaCian,"Acomparativeanalysisofprintadvertisingapplyingthetwomainplasticsemioticsschools:
Barthes'andGreimas'",Semiotica190:5779,2012.
LouisJeanCalvet,RolandBarthes:ABiography,trans.SarahWykes,Bloomington:IndianaUniversity
Press,1994.ISBN0253349877(Thisisapopularbiography)
JonathanCuller,RolandBarthes:AVeryShortIntroduction,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2001.
PauldeMan,"RolandBarthesandtheLimitsofStructuralism",inRomanticismandContemporary
Criticism,ed.E.S.Burt,KevinNewmark,andAndrzejWarminski,Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsUniversity
Press,1993.
JacquesDerrida,"TheDeathsofRolandBarthes,"inPsyche:InventionsoftheOther,Vol.1,ed.Peggy
KamufandElizabethG.Rottenberg,Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress,2007.
D.A.Miller,BringingOutRolandBarthes,Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1992.(Ahighly
personalcollectionoffragments,aimedatbothmourningBarthesandilluminatinghisworkintermsofa
"gaywritingposition.")
MarieGil,RolandBarthes:Aulieudelavie,Paris:Flammarion,2012.(Thefirstmajoracademic
biography[562p.])
MichaelMoriarty,RolandBarthes,Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress,1991.(Explainsvariousworksof
RolandBarthes)
JeanMichelRabate,ed.,WritingtheImageAfterRolandBarthes,Philadelphia:Universityof
PennsylvaniaPress,1997.
JeanLouisdeRambures,InterviewwithRolandBarthesin:"Commenttravaillentlescrivains",Paris:
Flammarion,1978
MireilleRibiere,RolandBarthes,Ulverston:HumanitiesEBooks,2008.
SusanSontag,"RememberingBarthes",inUndertheSignofSaturn,NewYork:Farrar,Strausand
Giroux,1980.
SusanSontag,"WritingItself:OnRolandBarthes",introductiontoRolandBarthes,ABarthesReader,
ed.SusanSontag,NewYork:HillandWang,1982.
StevenUngar.RolandBarthes:ProfessorofDesire.Lincoln:UniversityofNebraskaPress,1983.ISBN
9780803245518
GeorgeR.Wasserman.RolandBarthes.Boston:TwaynePublishers,1981.

Externallinks
"Toys"(http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/toys.html):AnotherexcerptfromMythologies
Barthes,Roland.Incidents.Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1992.FreeOnlineUCPressE
BooksCollection(http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft5v19n9z1/)
"Oscillation"byRolandBarthes(http://www.philippesollers.net/oscillation.html)
"RolandBarthes"(http://www.ubu.com/sound/barthes.html)"Commentvivreensemble"("Howtolive
together"),LecturesattheCollgedeFrance,1977and"LeNeutre"("TheNeutral"),Lecturesatthe
CollgedeFrance,1978.
"ElementsofSemiology"(http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/barthes.htm)
Thefirsthalfofthebook,fromMarxists.com
RolandBarthesbyPhilippeSollers(http://www.philippesollers.net/RB.html)(French)
OnlineTranslationofTheDiscourseofHistorybyBarthes(http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/pcraddoc/barth
es.htm)
"RolandBarthesandCameraLucida"byRonBurnett(http://rburnett.squarespace.com/main/2010/8/12/r
olandbarthesandcameralucida.html)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roland_Barthes&oldid=734989798"

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