Barthes argues that the author's intention is irrelevant to the meaning of a text because the text is a complex and multifaceted object that can be interpreted in many different ways.

Barthes does not mean that authors literally die, but rather that their intention is no longer relevant to the meaning of a text once it has been published.

Barthes' theory has a number of implications, including the idea that readers are free to interpret texts in any way they want, that authors have no control over the meaning of their texts, that the meaning of a text is constantly changing, and that all interpretations of a text are equally valid.

Barthes' theory has been influential in literary criticism in a number of ways, including leading to a decline in the study of authorial intention, encouraging readers to be more active in the interpretation of texts, and leading to a greater appreciation of the diversity of interpretations of a text.

Barthes' theory has been criticized for being too subjective, for ignoring the author's role in the creation of a text, and for leading to a loss of meaning in literature.