The Pleasure of the Text
Encyclopedia
The Pleasure of the Text is a short book published in 1973 by Roland Barthes
. It was written in French
and later translated into English
. Barthes sets out some of his ideas about literary theory
.
In the book, Barthes divides the effects of texts into two: plaisir (translated as "pleasure") and jouissance
. Jouissance is translated as "bliss", but the French word also carries the meaning of "orgasm".
The distinction corresponds to a further distinction Barthes makes between texte lisible and texte scriptible, translated respectively as "readerly" and "writerly" texts (a more literal translation would be "readable" and "writable" texts). Scriptible is a neologism in French. The pleasure of the text corresponds to the readerly text, which does not challenge the reader's position as a subject
. The writerly text provides bliss, which explodes literary codes and allows the reader to break out of his or her subject position.
The "readerly" and the "writerly" texts were identified and explained in Barthes's S/Z
. Barthes argues that "writerly" texts are more important than "readerly" ones because he sees the text's unity as forever being re-established by its composition, the codes that form and constantly slide around within the text. The reader of a readerly text is largely passive, whereas the person who engages with a writerly text has to make an active effort, and even to re-enact the actions of the writer himself. The different codes (hermeneutic, action, symbolic, semic, and historical), that Barthes defines in S/Z inform and reinforce one another, making for an open text that is indeterminant precisely because it can always be written anew.
As such, although one may experience pleasure in the readerly text, it is when one sees the text from the writerly point of view that the experience is blissful.
Shaw’s character Junius in Buoyant Billions says “The chrysalis dies when the dragonfly is born” and it seems that Barthes' reader has been turned into a dragonfly. More interestingly, in Japan, dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength and happiness, and perhaps the reader too in Barthes’ discourse gathers a jouissance.
and the social sciences
have used and developed the distinctions that Barthes makes. The British
sociologist of education, Stephen Ball, has argued that the National Curriculum in England
and Wales
is a writerly text, by which he means that schools, teachers and pupils have a certain amount of scope to re-interpret and develop it.
Roland Barthes
Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, anthropology and...
. It was written in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and later translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Barthes sets out some of his ideas about literary theory
Literary theory
Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for analyzing literature. However, literary scholarship since the 19th century often includes—in addition to, or even instead of literary theory in the strict sense—considerations of...
.
In the book, Barthes divides the effects of texts into two: plaisir (translated as "pleasure") and jouissance
Jouissance
The term jouissance, in French, denotes "pleasure" or "enjoyment." The term has a sexual connotation lacking in the English word "enjoyment", and is therefore left untranslated in English editions of the works of Jacques Lacan. In his Seminar "The Ethics of Psychoanalysis" Lacan develops his...
. Jouissance is translated as "bliss", but the French word also carries the meaning of "orgasm".
The distinction corresponds to a further distinction Barthes makes between texte lisible and texte scriptible, translated respectively as "readerly" and "writerly" texts (a more literal translation would be "readable" and "writable" texts). Scriptible is a neologism in French. The pleasure of the text corresponds to the readerly text, which does not challenge the reader's position as a subject
Subject (philosophy)
In philosophy, a subject is a being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness or a relationship with another entity . A subject is an observer and an object is a thing observed...
. The writerly text provides bliss, which explodes literary codes and allows the reader to break out of his or her subject position.
The "readerly" and the "writerly" texts were identified and explained in Barthes's S/Z
S/Z
S/Z, published in 1970, is Roland Barthes's structuralist analysis of "Sarrasine", the short story by Honoré de Balzac. Barthes methodically moves through the text of the story, denoting where and how different codes of meaning function...
. Barthes argues that "writerly" texts are more important than "readerly" ones because he sees the text's unity as forever being re-established by its composition, the codes that form and constantly slide around within the text. The reader of a readerly text is largely passive, whereas the person who engages with a writerly text has to make an active effort, and even to re-enact the actions of the writer himself. The different codes (hermeneutic, action, symbolic, semic, and historical), that Barthes defines in S/Z inform and reinforce one another, making for an open text that is indeterminant precisely because it can always be written anew.
As such, although one may experience pleasure in the readerly text, it is when one sees the text from the writerly point of view that the experience is blissful.
Shaw’s character Junius in Buoyant Billions says “The chrysalis dies when the dragonfly is born” and it seems that Barthes' reader has been turned into a dragonfly. More interestingly, in Japan, dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength and happiness, and perhaps the reader too in Barthes’ discourse gathers a jouissance.
Influences
Few writers in cultural studiesCultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
and the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
have used and developed the distinctions that Barthes makes. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sociologist of education, Stephen Ball, has argued that the National Curriculum in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is a writerly text, by which he means that schools, teachers and pupils have a certain amount of scope to re-interpret and develop it.