The role of the author is to provide a point of organization and resolution to a text, which is an expression of a particular source. In modern literary criticism, the author plays a vital role by providing a theoretical and practical basis for an analysis of certain events in a work, its various modifications, and its individual position in society. The author is the principle of unity in writing, and differences between works must be resolved by principles of influence, evolution, and maturation.
The author function is closely tied to the institution and juridical system of the production of a discourse. However, it does not affect all forms of a discourse in the same way. In fact, the author function is not a natural attribute, but rather a set of specific operations characterized by specific features of the production of a discourse. In addition, the author function is not a singular individual, but rather a collection of subjects and selves, occupying different classes of individuals.
Since the eighteenth century, the author has played a key role in the production of fictive works. In bourgeois, industrial, and individualist societies, the author is the sole liaison between the writer and the publishing house. The author’s work must be persuasive enough to attract the attention of an editor and publisher to be published. The author, therefore, must engage the audience in writing as a social act. If the reader is seeking information, the author’s use of facts indicates that he/she intends to inform them.
A third common purpose of writing is persuasion. This type of writing aims to persuade the reader to accept or reject a viewpoint or take an action. While it can be present in any genre of writing, it is usually the motivation behind political, academic, and advertising pieces. For instance, many people enjoy reading a book that will make them think or feel a certain way. Moreover, the purpose of writing for this purpose is to influence and entertain.
As previously mentioned, an author is not only the author of his/her text. He/she may also exercise broader powers over the text. For example, an author can command a literary work or write journalism. This is possible if the author combines a genre. For example, the author may write several novels, but the writings of Ann Radcliffe made possible the Gothic horror novel in the early nineteenth century. This is why the role of the author is so critical in literature.
Another important role of an author is to give a text meaning. This may sound obvious, but it is vital to read a text in order to determine its purpose. It can be difficult to discern the intention of an author if the author is not a familiar figure to the reader. For this reason, it is important to read individual texts by well-known authors. The individual texts contain a particular set of words, which must be understood in the context of interpretation.