Authority in Literature & Literary Theory

Etymology of Authority

The etymology of the word “authority” can be traced back to the Latin term “auctoritas.” In Roman culture, “auctoritas” was associated with the concept of influence, authorization, and prestige. It derived from the word “auctor,” which referred to an originator or promoter. Over time, “auctoritas” evolved to represent the power and credibility vested in individuals or institutions to make decisions, enforce laws, and exercise control.

The concept has since been fundamental in various societal and organizational structures, signifying the legitimate power to govern, guide, and establish rules or principles.

The word’s etymology reflects the historical development as a fundamental aspect of human governance and leadership.

Meanings of Authority

Aspect	Meaning
Power and Control	It often signifies the legitimate power to make decisions, enforce laws, and exercise control over individuals or groups.
Expertise and Knowledge	It can represent an individual’s or institution’s recognized expertise and knowledge in a particular field, granting them influence and credibility.
Official or Legal Status	It may refer to a position or entity with an official or legal status that enables them to make binding decisions.
Authorship and Ownership	In literature and intellectual property, it denotes the author’s ownership and rights over their work.
Moral or Ethical Guidance	It can also relate to the moral or ethical guidance provided by figures such as religious leaders or ethical authorities.
Influence and Persuasion	It encompasses the ability to influence and persuade others based on perceived expertise or legitimacy.
Tradition and Custom	Within cultural contexts, authority may be linked to traditions, customs, or respected practices passed down through generations.
Parental or Guardian Role	In familial settings, authority can be associated with parents or guardians who hold responsibility and decision-making power.
Regulatory and Supervisory	In organizational and administrative contexts, it often pertains to roles responsible for regulating and supervising.
Educational and Academic	It can also represent educational or academic qualifications that provide individuals with the knowledge and expertise to teach or guide others.

Definition of Authority as a Theoretical Term

In theoretical terms, it denotes the legitimate and recognized power vested in individuals, institutions, or entities to make decisions, exercise control, and influence others based on expertise, official status, or moral credibility within specific contexts.

This concept encompasses the capacity to guide, regulate, or lead in various domains, ranging from governance and law to knowledge and ethics, and is a fundamental element in the study of social structures, leadership, and the allocation of influence and control within societies and organizations.

Authority: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists:

1. Michel Foucault: Foucault’s work, such as The Author Function and What is an Author?, explores the concept of authorship and how this concept is is constructed within the literary field. He argues that the notion of the author is a product of discourse, shaped by historical and social contexts.
2. Roland Barthes: In The Death of the Author, Barthes challenges the traditional authority of the author in literary interpretation. He argues for a reader-centered approach, emphasizing the role of readers in constructing meaning independently of authorial intent.
3. Walter Benjamin: Benjamin’s essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction discusses how the authority of the original work of art changes in the context of mechanical reproduction, leading to shifts in interpretation and value.
4. Homi K. Bhabha: Bhabha’s work on postcolonial theory and hybridity addresses the authority of dominant narratives and the potential for subversion through hybrid cultural identities in literature.

Key Works:

1. “The Death of the Author” by Roland Barthes: In this essay, Barthes challenges the authority of the author in interpreting literary texts, advocating for a more open and reader-centered approach to literary analysis.
2. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by Walter Benjamin: Benjamin explores how the authority of original works of art changes with technological reproduction and how this transformation impacts interpretation and cultural authority.
3. “The Author Function” by Michel Foucault: In this essay, Foucault discusses how the concept of the author is constructed within discourse and how it affects the authority of texts and interpretations.

Arguments:

1. Authorial Intent vs. Reader Response: The debate over this concept in literary interpretation often centers on whether the author’s intentions or the reader’s responses should carry more weight in understanding a text.
2. Death of the Author: Some theorists argue that the traditional authority of the author in determining the meaning of a text has diminished or should be disregarded in favor of more open and diverse interpretations.
3. Historical and Sociocultural Context: Many literary arguments concerning authority consider how historical and sociocultural contexts shape the authority of texts, authors, and interpreters.
4. Power and Representation: Authority in literature is often linked to issues of power and representation, especially in postcolonial and feminist theories, which examine who has the authority to represent or speak for others.

These theorists, works, and arguments contribute to the ongoing discourse on it in literature, challenging traditional notions and offering new perspectives on how literary meaning and authority are constructed.

Authority in Literary Theories

Theory	Relevance
Authorial Intent	The concept of authorial authority is central to traditional literary criticism. Understanding the author’s background and intentions is emphasized, and authorial intent theory highlights the authority of the author’s intended meaning in interpreting a text.
Reader-Response Theory	Reader-response theory challenges it regarding authors and shifts focus to the reader’s role in interpreting a text. It acknowledges that readers, with their unique experiences and perspectives, become authorities in constructing the meaning of a literary work.
Feminist Theory	Feminist literary theory explores the authority of gender and power dynamics in literature. It examines how patriarchal structures have historically influenced literary representation and seeks to challenge and subvert these imbalances in authority.
Postcolonial Theory	Postcolonial literary theory addresses issues of cultural authority and representation. It critiques how colonial powers distorted and controlled indigenous voices, leading to the marginalization of colonized cultures. Postcolonial literature aims to reclaim authority for these marginalized voices.
Deconstruction	Deconstruction challenges the authority of language itself and questions the stability of meaning. Derrida’s work emphasizes the slippage of meaning and the decentering of linguistic authority, highlighting the complex nature of interpretation.
New Historicism	New Historicism considers it through historical contexts in literature. It explores how a text’s meaning is shaped by the historical, political, and cultural conditions of its time, emphasizing the authority of history in interpretation.
Marxist Theory	Marxist literary theory examines it with reference to social and economic structures in literature. It analyzes how class dynamics influence literary representations and how economic authority impacts the production and consumption of literature.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Psychoanalytic literary theory considers it of the unconscious mind in literature. It explores how the subconscious influences characters and narratives, emphasizing the authority of psychological processes in shaping literary meaning.
Queer Theory	Queer theory addresses it with regard to sexual and gender identities in literature. It challenges normative representations and explores how non-conforming identities assert their own authority in texts, emphasizing the diversity of authorial voices.

Authority in Literary Criticism

1. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov: Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire is a postmodern masterpiece that raises questions about authorial authority and reader interpretation. The novel takes the form of a critical analysis of a fictional poem, written by a deceased author. Readers must navigate the commentary and footnotes, blurring the lines between the authority of the author, the critic, and the reader, challenging traditional notions of literary interpretation.
2. Possession by A.S. Byatt: A.S. Byatt’s novel Possession weaves together two parallel stories—one of Victorian poets and one of contemporary literary scholars. The novel explores the authority of academics in uncovering the hidden histories of literary figures and the power they hold in interpreting and controlling the narratives of the past.
3. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose is a historical mystery novel set in a medieval monastery. The story revolves around a series of murders and the search for a hidden manuscript. The novel engages with questions of authority in terms of interpretation, religious doctrine, and the power of texts to influence beliefs and actions.
4. If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino: Italo Calvino’s postmodern novel If on a winter’s night a traveler is a narrative experiment that challenges the authority of the author and the reader. The book consists of fragmented narratives and addresses the reader directly, inviting them to co-create the story. This novel questions the traditional authority of the author over the reader’s experience.

These novels offer rich explorations of this theme in literary criticism, inviting readers and critics to consider the complex relationships between authors, readers, interpreters, and the texts themselves.

Suggested Readings

1. Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. Oxford University Press, 1973.
2. Fish, Stanley. Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of Interpretive Communities. Harvard University Press, 1982.
3. Foucault, Michel. The Archaeology of Knowledge. Pantheon, 1972.
4. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. Heinemann, 1986.
5. Said, Edward. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1979.
6. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. The Post-Colonial Critic: Interviews, Strategies, Dialogues. Routledge, 1990.
7. Todorov, Tzvetan. The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other. Harper & Row, 1984.