The Death of the Author

[sen_no_ongaku]

One of the most widely cited features of postmodern theory is known as "The Death of the Author", that the creator of a text does not hold a privileged position in its interpretation. Which is to say that the person who writes a book has no more authority as regards what it means than a careful reader of that book.

I like to soften this a little with the claim that the author does offer a perspective others cannot: the author can indicate what h/h intended to mean.

So here's a proposal:

Your life is a text of which you are the author. As such, you and only you know what your actions and thoughts are intended to mean, but the opinions of the careful readers of your life -- perhaps friends, family, or maybe even workmates -- are as valid as yours in determining what your actions and thoughts actually mean.

Comments

[silvarwyrm.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think that's the great thing about art, and literature. One text can have many different interpretations from different readers, and the work takes on a life of its own. I don't think one interpretation is "right," because I believe the creation does not exist solely to convey the author's intentions and viewpoints to the world. It also exists for people to take from it what insight they will. So, the author's intentions comprise merely one of many valid interpretations.

I don't think this sort of thing applies to political debate, however :P

[squirrelhaven.livejournal.com]

You've just articulated one of the major themes of my new book. And, for that matter, one of the minor themes of my first book.

[heatmhub.livejournal.com]

I think you are not so much proposing something as stating a fact of life. Human beings are complex (and not so complex) beings. We don't always correctly interpret our own actions or inactions. And sometimes, when we do correctly interpret them, we may not want to face up to what they mean and may try to pass off a less than wholly encompassing interpretation.

[sen-no-ongaku.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly happy to go farther and just call it part of our existence; but I think many people don't realize it.

In particular, I'm thinking of a fellow I once knew who treated the people around him like shit, but somehow always managed to complain about how he didn't understand why nobody wanted to spend time with him.

[sal-sal.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read The Giver? It's a great book, and an elementary school staple of my generation. Well, it led to an intense discussion of author's intent. At the end, one can assume that Jonas and Gabe die, and they're hallucinating in their final moments before death. That ending fits the tone of the novel.

However, just two years ago Lois Lowry released a "sequel" about Jonas, and says that the idea that he died is ridiculous. To me, this seems like more of a money issue (milking a successful book for all it's worth).

Anyway, a couple of people were confused by the fact that I continued to assert that Jonas died, even with the fact that there's a sequel.

Okay, that was rambly.

[g-me.livejournal.com]

I love The Giver!!! Read it in my seventh grade english class and it's still one of my favorite books. I had no idea there was a sequal....

[ltlbird.livejournal.com]

I think that's a great philosophy for life. It gives the individual credit for what s/he attempts to do, without releasing him/her from the responsibility of trying to consider the ramifications of one's actions on others. Just because I was joking when I called Jenny a whore, doesn't make her anger at me any less valid.

[sylvantechie.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a reasonable description to me.

I would be tempted to go into a bit more detail (though my programming habit often leads me to over-specify): You know what your actions do mean to you and what they're intended to mean to others. Others determine what your actions actually mean to them on a per-person basis. Others interpret/infer what you intended to mean to them and others on a per-person and broad basis.

[winterborne.livejournal.com]

I'd modify to say that you decide the validity of others' readings of your life - and how much validity you grant often has a strong correlation with how close the "reader" in question is to you (in context: the workmate's opinion has value in a different context from yo mama's). Whether you've decided that the ability of the person in question to deliver a "close reading" is going to translate into granting that person's opinion validity - well, that might be a good principle to live by, but most people fail to do so.

[sen-no-ongaku.livejournal.com]

I might also amend my statement to say that while readings from friends and family certainly have more validity, superficial readings can also have some relevance, since emotional closeness can lead to distorted interpretations.

Context is an issue as well; if I'm a entertaining but lazy fellow, a good friend of mine will have a different (but equally valid) viewpoint on me than someone with whom I work closely.