This research conducts a comparative analysis between Michel Foucault’s essay “What is an Author?” and Jung’s K-Drama “W: Two Worlds Apart”, aiming to explore contemporary visual storytelling’s reflection of Foucault’s ideas on authorship and narrative agency. Foucault’s essay challenges traditional notions of authorship, advocating for a focus on the discursive formations surrounding writers and their texts. “W: Two Worlds Apart”, which blends elements of Foucault’s theories, offers a fertile ground for inquiry with its exploration of parallel universes, meta-narratives, and the interplay between creator and creation.
The research design employs a qualitative approach, using textual analysis to examine the narrative structures and thematic content of both Foucault’s essay and the television series. This involves a detailed examination of the series’ episodes and Foucault’s text to identify how the concepts of authorial control, narrative manipulation, and audience engagement are presented and interwoven. Through this comparative analysis, the study elucidates how Jung’s narrative strategies intersect with Foucauldian concepts such as the author-function and textual plurality.
The research draws from interdisciplinary insights in media studies, cultural theory, and philosophy to contribute to ongoing discussions about the fluidity of authorship and the negotiation of meaning in visual media. By pinpointing convergences and divergences between Foucault’s theoretical propositions and Jung’s televisual narrative, the study offers fresh perspectives on the dynamics of authorship, textuality, and audience reception in contemporary television storytelling. This research provides new perspectives and ideas for the study of modern communication media, demonstrating significant theoretical and practical implications.

Authors:
Sanjukta Chakraborty, Amity University, India
Prachi Behrani, Amity University, India
Aarushi Upadhyay, Amity University, India
Dhritiman Chakraborty, University of Warwick, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Sanjukta Chakraborty is a University Doctoral Student at Amity University in India

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