Roland Barthes Zero Degree Writing Theory And Camus "outsider"

Roland Barthes is one of the most influential literary critics and theoreticians inFrance and the whole western since the1960s. Throughout all the theoreticalachievements of Barthes,“zero writing” which was published in1953should be thefirst famous book in the field of literary criticism, it also became the foundation of allhis academic thoughts. Albert Camus is one of the famous novelists and critics, becausehe assemble political、thinking and literary, so he represents the typical Frenchintellectuals. Throughout Camus’s literary life,“the outsider” which was published in1942let him into the classic writer’s rank, has also become the leader in his wholeliterary creation. In the postwar period, nihilism、pessimism and existentialism were fullof the complicated age background, Barthes and Camus seemed to smell the atmosphereof zero, so they practiced the zero in different form. The zero of Camus was focused onthe artistic techniques of the novel, his novel didn’t have myth factor, take a natural andwhite form to write novel.“About the thinking of the outsider” that was published in1944was the prototype of the zero writing, so as the model of the zero writing theory,the outsider was praised highly by Barthes.Zero writing theory has great significance for Barthes aesthetic exploration and thesystem of world literature. Therefore, throwing the starting point into Camus who wonthe Nobel Prize, we can powerful prove the rationality and feasibility of the practiceabout the zero writing.“The outsider” not only makes the zero writing theory to bemore perfect, but also supply more inspiration for Barthes.Firstly, this paper attempts to analyze and sort out the connotation、significanceof the zero writing theory and the zero narrative way of “the outsider” from theperspective of parallel research. Then, this paper excavates Barthes and Camus’scommonality from the perspective of comparing and accepting. During discussing theircommonalities, we find out the reason why Barthes accept and praise “the outsider”, at last this paper figure out the zero writing theory’s enlightenment and inheritance ofpracticing.