Close Readings: Barthes From Work To Text 2

Barthes states that the Text is “radically symbolic” in the representation of ideas presented by the language surrounding a work. Since the conceptual discourse surrounding a piece is not a physical object, like the work is, the text must, therefore, be symbolic and representational of the ideas. This means that, while the text makes the piece what it is, the piece is also a symbol of the discourse surround it, which would not exist if not for the work itself. This also speaks about the use of references and the unoriginality of the language surrounding the piece. All the ideas are brought together to form the text and, therefore, the text is a symbol for all of these pre-existing concepts.