Roland Barthes(1915-1980)

French critic, writer and university professor whose impact on intellectual thought was as influential as that of Jean-Paul Sartre. He is internationally respected for what many term for his brilliant observations in semiology (the study of signs or symbols) and how they may be applied to literature. He wrote that language is a "system of signs" providing insights into the attitudes and assumptions of the society one is examining. He founded the Groupe Theatral Antique in Paris and the magazine Theatre Populaire. He wrote many important books, including 'S/Z' (pronounced "Ess Zed").