The task of the learned, scholastic critic was to reveal the meaning of the text and to help the poor readers in grasping that single meaning. In order to unearth this single meaning, there should be a single meaning as such. The same pre supposition keeps the author as an institution. The author keeps the secret meaning in his heart. The shrewd critic finds it out. The author declares that the critic is right and lands his attempts. Barthes attacks the concept of such a critic through these words:
Hence there is no surprise in the fact that, historically, the reign of the Author has also been that of the critic, nor again in the fact that criticism (be it new) is today undermined along with the author.
