What is "The Death of the Author" and why has it been so influential in literary criticism?

“The Death of the Author” is a critical essay by French literary theorist Roland Barthes, first published in 1967. The essay challenges traditional notions of authorship and argues that the author’s intentions and biography should not be considered when interpreting a text.

Barthes argues that the meaning of a text is not fixed or determined by the author, but is instead created by the reader in the act of interpretation. He claims that the author’s presence in the text is only one of many possible meanings, and that it is the reader who ultimately creates the meaning of a text.

“The Death of the Author” has been influential in literary criticism because it challenged the idea of the author as a singular, authoritative voice that controlled the meaning of a text. Instead, it shifted the focus to the reader and the various interpretations that could be derived from a text. The essay has influenced many critical approaches to literature, including poststructuralism and reader-response criticism. It has also had a significant impact on other fields such as film and cultural studies.