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Authorial presence can be seen in different narratives. There is first person narrative, which Barnes’ Flaubert’s Parrot is written. And third person narrative, which Flaubert’s Madame Bovary is written. Each book strives for objectivity. Flaubert and Barnes seek for authorial absence but do not succeed. Flaubert’s intent was to make himself disappear from his work, he wanted to become “god” and leave no direct evidence of his opinions and views. He wrote in an objective manner to create the appearance of reality. This “absent” narration makes an illusion of objectivity and detachment by pushing the character into the foreground as the narrator recedes into the background. This third person approach attempts to achieve complete absence but does not succeed. Barnes aims to have the same distance from his work. He attempts to do this with a different method. He uses first person narration. Barnes creates two narrators, Braithwaite and Colette. By doing this, he weakens the idea that these aren’t his opinions. He allows us to see his own thoughts by creating the two narrations. Flaubert and Barnes seek to have total separation from their books. Complete authorial absence and objectivity cannot be achieved.