Barthes
Roland Barthes (1915–1980) was a French literary theorist, semiotician, and cultural critic whose work helped shape structuralism and post-structuralism. Writing across literature, philosophy, and media studies, he analyzed how language and culture convey meaning through systems of signs. Barthes taught and wrote in Paris, including a long association with the Collège de France, and his essays remain central to contemporary literary and cultural theory.
Among Barthes's major works are Writing Degree Zero (1953), Mythologies (1957), and S/Z (1970). He introduced the
Barthes is famous for the Death of the Author (1967), which contends that a text's meaning derives
Barthes's influence extends across literary theory, film studies, media studies, and cultural criticism. While celebrated for