The Death of the Author and the Birth of the Reader: A Relationship of Desire and Communication

Abstract

A reading of a text is nothing more than a reflection of the reader-interpreter’s goals, intentions, and orientations. Therefore, there is no reading that can be labeled strictly “good” or “bad”; rather, there are different “uses” of texts according to our declared and hidden purposes. Not all interpretations are acceptable or legitimate. Interpreting a text properly means submitting to its organic unity, internal coherence, and deeper intent. Conversely, forcing the text to fit our personal purposes is considered a use of the text, meaning an approach that ignores the standards, rules, and limits governing interpretation. The struggle for priority between the author and the text persists, and when the reader is granted importance in what we call the “literary process,” the three pillars of literature—author, text, and reader—stand equally present and integrate with each other, creating the pleasure of communication and desire.