Author/Authority
I believe that the author has complete authority over the material that is written. They can choose what to add, what to embellish, and what to leave out of the story. In House of the Spirits, the author is using bits and pieces of Clara’s journal and Esteban’s personal accounts to tell a story. Yes, Clara’s journal is completely fictional, but it is in the way that the author presents the information that allows her to tell the story. It seems that the author focuses more on making Esteban look bad more than anything else, and she does this by placing more emphasis on the passages in the journal that deal with Esteban’s anger. It is the same with the Corrido. Each singer was the author and in turn was allowed to present the story in the way that he wanted. No matter what medium the story is presented in, the author will have the final say. However, this does not mean that the author is correct in his interpretation of the material. We, as readers have the right to interpret the material in the way we see fit and disagree with the author. The author tries to push the reader in a certain direction, but it is up to the reader which direction to take.