SYMBOLIC RESISTANCE AND REVIVING AUTHORSHIP: COUNTERING BARTHES IN SHERMAN ALEXIE’S THE SUMMER OF BLACK WIDOWS

Abstract

Roland Barthes’ theory of interpretation of a text, The Death of the Author, neglects the role of author in construction of meaning of a text. Barthes theory gives reader an authority to interpret a work. This paper studies Sherman Alexie’s The Summer of Black Widows in counter to Barthes’ theory by showing that a reader cannot interpret a literary work by siding its creator. This paper also answers the questions that which symbols were used by Sherman Alexie and what were his intentions behind using those symbols. This qualitative research is conducted by using the text as a sample and data is collected by closed reading of the text. Through interpretations of symbols, this paper unravels the horrific deeds of genocide and ecocide committed by Euro-Americans. For Barthes symbols have universal meanings but this papers counters his idea by analyzing symbols in The Summer of Black Widows by keeping in view the authorial intentions. The paper questions the metaphorical death of an author and labels it as a fallacy as texts and their intrinsic elements carry the experiences and thoughts of its creator.