Roland Barthes "What is Criticism?": Summary and Analysis

 

INTRODUCTION:

Roland Barthes (1915-1980) was a French literary theorist, philosopher, and semiotician. He was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, and his ideas have had a profound impact on fields as diverse as literary studies, cultural studies, anthropology, and sociology.

Being a post-structuralist critic, Barthes reacted against the new critics and also against the theory of structuralism. He argued that literary texts should be understood as complex systems of signs and symbols, which generate multiple meanings and are open to a wide range of interpretations.

MAJOR WORKS OF ROLAND BARTHES:

Roland Barthes was a prolific writer and literary critic, and he produced many influential works throughout his career. Some of his most important works as a critic include:

1.   "Writing Degree Zero" (1953): In this early work, Barthes argues that language is a complex system of signs and symbols.

 

2.   "Mythologies" (1957): It is a collection of essays in which he analyzes and deconstructs various cultural myths and symbols. In this book, Barthes argues that myths are not just simple stories or legends, but rather complex cultural constructs that serve to reinforce dominant social ideologies and power structures.

 

3.   "S/Z" (1970): This ground-breaking study of Balzac's novella "Sarrasine" is often considered one of Barthes' most important works. In it, he uses structuralist methods to deconstruct the text and reveal the complex web of signification that underlies it.

 

4.   "The Pleasure of the Text" (1973): In this highly personal and lyrical work, Barthes explores the relationship between language and desire, arguing that the text should be understood not as a fixed, stable object but as a site of endless play and experimentation.

 

5.   "Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes" (1975): This experimental autobiography blurs the boundaries between autobiography and criticism, and offers a highly personal and idiosyncratic reflection on Barthes' life and work.

Other important works by Barthes include "Elements of Semiology" (1964), "Critical Essays" (1964), "The Fashion System" (1967), and "Camera Lucida" (1980).

BARTHES’ ESSAY ‘WHAT IS CRITICISM?’

Roland Barthes' essay "What is Criticism?" was first published in the journal "The Minnesota Review" in 1964. It was later included in Barthes' collection of essays "Critical Essays". The essay explores the role and function of literary criticism, and argues for a more dynamic and engaged approach to literary analysis that goes beyond traditional modes of interpretation.

MAJOR ARGUMENTS:

In his essay "What is Criticism?", Roland Barthes presents several major arguments about the nature and function of literary criticism. Some of these arguments include:

1.   Criticism is not just about interpretation: Barthes argues that traditional modes of literary criticism have tended to focus on interpretation, or the process of assigning meaning to a text. However, he suggests that this approach is limiting. He says that criticism should be seen as a more dynamic and engaged process that involves active engagement with the text.

2.   Criticism is concerned with the reader's experience: Barthes suggests that literary criticism should be less concerned with the author's intentions or the objective meaning of a text, and more focused on the reader's experience of the text. He argues that criticism should be more subjective and personal, and that critics should aim to capture the way a text makes them feel and respond.

3.   Criticism should be open-ended: Barthes argues against the idea that criticism should be aimed at producing definitive interpretations or establishing fixed meanings for a text. Instead, he suggests that criticism should be open-ended and exploratory, allowing for multiple and diverse interpretations.

4.   Criticism should be creative: Barthes argues that criticism should not be seen as a passive or secondary activity, but rather as a creative and generative one. A good critic must himself be an artist first. He has a heart of an artist and a mind of a scientist. Criticism with creative approach can help to generate new meanings and possibilities for a text.

CONCLUSION:

Barthes' essay "What is Criticism?" is a powerful critique of traditional approaches to literary criticism, and a call for a more dynamic, open-ended, and creative way of engaging with literature. Rather than trying to pin down the meaning of a work of literature once and for all, Barthes suggests that criticism should be seen as a way of opening up new outlooks of meaning, and of enriching our understanding of the complex world of language and culture in which we live.

Click to watch a video lecture.