Barthes problematizes the existence of an author in his essay “The Death of the Author” by suggesting that the reader is as complicit as the author in making meaning of the text, and therefore the birth of the reader is at the expense of the death of the author. However, what should be problematize is not the existence of authorship, but the possession of authorship. Authorship does not vanish. Instead, it is transferred from the creator of the text to the subjects in the text. The creator dies and, in turn, passes the authorship to the characters. This marks the reincarnation of the author. Toni Morrison disputes Barthes by transforming his theory to “The rebirth of the Author” through her short story “Recitatif”. It is a short-story famous
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She exists through their memories. Twyla recalls Maggie wearing an “awful”, “stupid little hat”, where “even for a mute, it was dumb” in her dream (245). The adjectives used to describe Maggie’s hat, strong and offensive as they seem, are childish. This is to shed light on an eight-year-old’s voice. These intricate descriptions of the hat reveal Twyla’s resentful feelings towards Maggie. The hate does not stop there. Roberta and Twyla both want to hurt Maggie. They symbolically “kick” Maggie by calling her names like “Dummy!” and “Bow legs!”. They see Maggie as a possible resemblance of their future selves, and they want to keep Maggie in the past. Louder than ever, Maggie holds a screaming presence in their memories. It is as if she is seeking for revenge. She punishes them for not stopping the big girls from kicking her by holding them back to their past ceaselessly and restlessly. She becomes the author of Twyla and Roberta’s memories, and therefore the author of her own story. By tricking Twyla and Roberta’s memories, Maggie is able to alter her role from being victimized by the big girls to being victimized by Twyla and Roberta. The readers are able to sympathize with Maggie. Maggie is able to script her own story through Twyla and Roberta mind, breathing and living through their …show more content…
She is able to rewrite memories to punish those who wronged her and leave everyone in doubt regarding her ending, including the characters in the text. “Recitatif” allows the readers to develop their own understanding while following the character’s guidance. Maggie, the author of her own story, makes an abrupt entrance in Twyla’s dream and leaves without answering any questions. She takes on the role of the author but leaving room for the readers to develop their own interpretations. Maggie, hence, reborn as the author with the birth of the
She exists through their memories. Twyla recalls Maggie wearing an “awful”, “stupid little hat”, where “even for a mute, it was dumb” in her dream (245). The adjectives used to describe Maggie’s hat, strong and offensive as they seem, are childish. This is to shed light on an eight-year-old’s voice. These intricate descriptions of the hat reveal Twyla’s resentful feelings towards Maggie. The hate does not stop there. Roberta and Twyla both want to hurt Maggie. They symbolically “kick” Maggie by calling her names like “Dummy!” and “Bow legs!”. They see Maggie as a possible resemblance of their future selves, and they want to keep Maggie in the past. Louder than ever, Maggie holds a screaming presence in their memories. It is as if she is seeking for revenge. She punishes them for not stopping the big girls from kicking her by holding them back to their past ceaselessly and restlessly. She becomes the author of Twyla and Roberta’s memories, and therefore the author of her own story. By tricking Twyla and Roberta’s memories, Maggie is able to alter her role from being victimized by the big girls to being victimized by Twyla and Roberta. The readers are able to sympathize with Maggie. Maggie is able to script her own story through Twyla and Roberta mind, breathing and living through their …show more content…
She is able to rewrite memories to punish those who wronged her and leave everyone in doubt regarding her ending, including the characters in the text. “Recitatif” allows the readers to develop their own understanding while following the character’s guidance. Maggie, the author of her own story, makes an abrupt entrance in Twyla’s dream and leaves without answering any questions. She takes on the role of the author but leaving room for the readers to develop their own interpretations. Maggie, hence, reborn as the author with the birth of the