Question

Arrange the following essays in the chronological order of their year of publication: A. “The Death of the Author”, B. “Tradition and Individual Talent”, C. “What is an Author?”, D. “Gender Trouble”.

• A. A, D, B, C
• B. B, C, D, A
• C. B, A, C, D
• D. A, B, D, C

Hint:

Remember the order: Eliot first, then Barthes, then Foucault, then Butler.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1 : Understanding the Question:
This question requires us to arrange four highly influential essays or books of modern literary and critical theory in chronological order based on their first publication years.

Step 2 : Key Formulas and Approach:
The approach involves identifying the exact publication year for each text and arranging them sequentially. We trace works by T.S. Eliot, Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, and Judith Butler.

Step 3 : Detailed Explanation:

• T.S. Eliot's landmark modernist essay "Tradition and Individual Talent" was first published in 1919 in The Egoist, arguing against romantic self-expression in favor of an impersonal theory of poetry.

• Roland Barthes's famous poststructuralist essay "The Death of the Author" was published in 1967, arguing that the author's intentions should not restrict the interpretation of a text.

• Michel Foucault's essay "What is an Author?", which was written partly as a response to Barthes's work, was published in 1969, exploring how the "author function" operates in discourse.

• Judith Butler's foundational queer theory book Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity was published in 1990, introducing the concept of gender performativity.

• Arranging these publications chronologically yields: "Tradition and Individual Talent" (B, 1919) $\rightarrow$ "The Death of the Author" (A, 1967) $\rightarrow$ "What is an Author?" (C, 1969) $\rightarrow$ Gender Trouble (D, 1990).

Step 4 : Final Answer:
The correct chronological sequence is B, A, C, D, which corresponds to option (C).
The correct option is (C) B, A, C, D.