Barthes and Foucault take opposing views on the concept of authorship and the importance of an author with respect to interpretation of texts. In The Death of the Author, Barthes argues that an author’s intention should be irrelevant to the meaning of a text, while in What is an Author? Foucault suggests that the author becomes a cultural construct that serves a specific function within textual interpretation and society. After our class discussion, I see value in both sides of this debate and find it challenging to wholeheartedly choose one side.

I support Barthes’ argument because I recognize the value of a text being interpreted in different manners according to a reader’s personal values and backgrounds. On the other hand, one could argue that there may be a limit to the benefits of such interpretations. For example, if interpretation goes too far, there may be connections formed to which a text was never meant to be applied and could be used to justify harmful behaviours or thoughts.

I agree with Foucault that the context of an author’s background and beliefs may be fundamental to the interpretation of a text. If we do not know the background of the author and the context in which the text was written, how can we fully appreciate its message and whether it is appropriate to apply it in contemporary society? On the other hand, a weakness to this approach is that creative interpretation may be lost, which can be critical to upholding the relevance and applicability of classic texts. A strictly narrowed interpretation of classic texts may inhibit the valuable expansion of ideas, discussion, and applicability to modern society.

Applying this to my own life, I typically follow Barthes’ approach. Instead of researching an author’s background, I like to consider how their ideas are applicable to my understanding of the world or the topics I am learning. After our class discussion, though, my opinion has changed. My peers were persuasive and helped me recognize how much better one can grapple with these texts when they understand the context within which they were written. I think that adopting the Foucault method, where the reader is better informed of the entire context in which the text was written, will help me develop a more advanced ability to analyse and interpret the texts we study in this course. I am curious to see the how this change to my reading approach will make a difference moving forward.