4

Set 2: Central Ideas (Advanced)

Explanation

Answer: A

PASSAGE

The following text discusses the 'Death of the Author' concept. In his 1967 essay 'The Death of the Author,' Roland Barthes argues against utilizing an author's identity, political views, or historical context to interpret their work. Barthes contends that a text is a multidimensional space where a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash. Therefore, the meaning of a text resides not in its origin (the author) but in its destination (the reader). To give a text an Author is to impose a limit on that text, to furnish it with a final 'signified.'

What does Barthes imply by locating the meaning of a text in the 'reader' rather than the 'author'?

A. That readers often misunderstand the author's true intent✓ Correct
B. That meaning is open, fluid, and constructed by the audience's interpretation
C. That the author has no skill or talent
D. That only professional critics can truly understand literature

Detailed Explanation

Choice B is correct. Barthes argues that relying on the author 'impose[s] a limit,' whereas the text is a 'multidimensional space' where meaning resides in the reader, implying fluidity and openness.

Key Evidence:

• "meaning... resides... in its destination (the reader)"

• "To give a text an Author is to impose a limit"

Why others are wrong: A (Opposite (Barthes doesn't care about 'true intent')), C (Misinterpretation), D (Not mentioned).

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