Wimsatt's "The Intentional Fallacy"

Wimsatt's "The Intentional Fallacy" argues that a literary work should be evaluated based on its actual content and how it functions in the text itself, rather than trying to interpret the author's intended meaning. The idea is that focusing on what the author meant can distract from the work's true significance and how it resonates with readers. Essentially, the meaning of a piece of literature is determined by the text and its effects, not by assumptions about the author's intentions. This shifts the focus from creator’s intent to the reader's experience and the work’s inherent qualities.