FREN4422 · Romance Languages and Literatures

The Death of the Author

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Since the appearance of Roland Barthes' article, "The Death of the Author" (1968), this eye-catching phrase has received much attention. But if the author is dead, then who does the writing? This course covers a period of 20th century French literature and criticism during which the traditional figure of the literary author fades, and a new kind of literature appears, one that seeks to be mechanical, impersonal, and based on objective rules. What did this literature look like? It was playful but rigorous, and it was based on constraints that were specific to a given author or group. This course will consider a variety of works including films and visual arts that address these issues. We will also trace the way the so-called "death of author" may have helped prepare a return of the subject and history into literature and criticism. Our ultimate goal will be to understand better what is the most "alive" in the literary and social questions we face today. Conducted in French.