Barthes gives a very good introduction to structural literary theory. He outlines the links between linguistics and literary analysis, showing how a critic approaches a literary text in much the same way that a linguist approaches a sentence. Who knew!
Some questions to think about as you read:
(1) How does Barthes understand the link between the study of "sentences" and the study of "discourses" in this essay?
(2) What are some of the "units" of narrative that Barthes identifies and categorizes?