The Figure of the Author

Exploring the dynamic between authors and readers, this essay delves into major novels from the eighteenth century to the present, analyzing works like "Moll Flanders" and "Madame Bovary." It engages with Roland Barthes' and Michel Foucault's theories on the author function, presenting an intersubjective theory of the modern novel. The study highlights the complex interactions between authors and readers, including their avoidance and contention, while also examining the structural elements of novels, such as title pages and paratexts, revealing the intricacies of the writing and reading experience.