If you missed that, I\u2019ll take it you didn\u2019t read or watch Hamlet<\/em>, and you wouldn\u2019t be the only one. You see, we can draw parallels and observe similarities only by comparison. If we\u2019re not aware of the older story being recalled, we might not see the intertextuality at play. This applies to writing too. Even when it\u2019s our own story, there\u2019s a very good chance our writing has intertextual links to some other work we might have read or watched, even if we\u2019re unaware of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll define intertextuality, go through the different types and forms of intertextuality, look at some examples of intertextuality, and explore how intertextuality can be used in your writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Culturally, works of art, literature, and music all derive from one another, and this makes for a thriving web of creativity. These works we weave all share a few, if not many, common threads. When two or more bodies of work parallel one another or reflect themes and\/or plotlines from one another, it\u2019s called intertextuality. Often it can be inadvertent, but it can just as easily be a deliberate device. When done well, intertextuality becomes a great literary tool in the writer\u2019s kit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Latent intertextuality is when intertextuality is used inadvertently. When it is used consciously, it is referred to as deliberate intertextuality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most writings invariably have some element of intertextuality in them, as being influenced by some of the things we consume is inevitable. When I showed the prologue of my love story to my professor when I was on a creative writing course, he observed that it had a \u2018Rudyard Kipling feel about it\u2019. It was one of the best compliments I\u2019d ever received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In my story, I animated the sun as an onlooker and referred to it as \u2018him\u2019 to show the reader the sun\u2019s glimpse into the life of my main character. This is a pretty common way to refer to the sun in all Indian languages; in fact, we gender a lot of inanimate objects in our native tongues and it seeps into our English too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rudyard Kipling\u2019s works were heavily influenced by the times he lived in \u2013 British India \u2013 and his own works were a product of that era. So, he\u2019d have been naturally influenced by the native land and language<\/a>. So, what was common between my story and Kipling\u2019s works was the native language influence that brought with it a \u201ccome, come see this land\u201d kind of vibe, as well as the use of description<\/a>. I wasn\u2019t aware of this similarity until my professor saw it and mentioned it. Besides, like I mentioned before, latent intertextuality can be easily missed if you\u2019re not aware of the text your own work parallels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing to use intertextuality as a deliberate literary device is a skill every writer would benefit from. One of my favourite novels of all time is The Book Thief<\/em> by Markus Zusak. This work has perhaps some of the most exemplary usage of deliberate intertextuality. Throughout the book, there are various references to real events of the time this story is set in<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An obvious example of deliberate intertextuality is when Max, the Jewish man hiding in the Hubermanns\u2019 basement paints over a copy of Hitler\u2019s Mein Kampf<\/em>, to write his own story for the protagonist Liesel. This is not only the character\u2019s attempt at rewriting the reality from his perspective, but also the author\u2019s own attempt at having his voice heard by the reader, albeit through a character. This is a clever way for the writer to let his presence be felt by his reader, when the story allows it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many writers choose to explicitly base their contemporary works on a classic work and this is an obvious way to incorporate intertextuality. Writers can do this through translation, form, parody, allegory, retelling, fan fiction and prequels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No two languages are the same and they often come with cultural tints of their own. So, when we translate<\/a> a work from one language to another, even with most of the story being the same, the two simply read different. Another way this can happen is through changing the form or genre of the original work. For instance, the 20th<\/sup> century Irish author James Joyce\u2019s novel Ulysses<\/em> makes use of both these kinds of intertextuality. It\u2019s an English rendition of the ancient poet Homer\u2019s Greek poem Odysseus<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Retelling is a skill by which a good storyteller can spin a popular (but possibly outdated) story into a compelling tale of the current times. This tool is one of the ways in which Disney tries to stay relevant with the audience of today. Take, for instance, the movie Brave<\/em>, whose protagonist is unlike any of the other Disney princesses \u2013 wild and messy; or Frozen<\/em>, whose princess Elsa is the first to be coronated and to rule as queen, without having to marry a prince; or Maleficent<\/em>, wherein princess Aurora\u2019s curse is broken by \u2018true love\u2019s kiss\u2019 from her adoptive mother rather than a prince. These fairytales<\/a> take root from their tried-and-tested predecessors but spring forth with characters and plot-twists<\/a> that are more suited to the modern times we live in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you take a plot, writer\u2019s style or even an entire genre and exaggerate it for comical effect, it\u2019s called a parody. The Shrek movies do exactly this with the entire genre of fairytales. They\u2019ve turned the \u2018happily ever after\u2019 theme on its head. They are literally all about \u2018ugly ever after\u2019, with Fiona choosing to remain an ogress with Shrek, despite being given a second chance to be a \u2018beautiful\u2019 princess. Littered with several adult puns (\u201cAlthough she (Snow White) lives with seven other men, she\u2019s not easy\u201d), exaggerations (Sleeping Beauty falling with a thud every other minute, even in an action sequence), and very literal use of deep songs (Live and let die<\/em> at the Frog King\u2019s funeral), these movies tickle the funny bones of adults and children alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fan fiction is a genre more prevalent on the Internet than anywhere else. Works of fan fiction are directly related to rather popular texts, but they are written by a reader and not the original author of the popular text. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As ardent lovers of stories, I\u2019d say we\u2019re all familiar with the pain of a story coming to an end, especially if it\u2019s a series of novels. Readers of Twilight<\/em> by Stephanie Meyer felt this pain when the four-book series came to an end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of them took to writing a sequel to the series on the web \u2013 a raunchy piece depicting what the protagonists Bella Swan and Edward Cullen might be up to in their bedroom. The writer, under the penname \u2018Snowqueens Icedragon\u2019, then decided to change the protagonists\u2019 names, rewrite the plot, and went on to self-publish it. What happened next was unprecedented \u2013 it went on to become a phenomenally bestselling trilogy of erotic fiction in its own right! We know this trilogy as the 50 Shades<\/em> franchise, and its author as EL James. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When a backstory to the main story is provided as a standalone, it\u2019s called a prequel, just as a progressive instalment to the main story would be called a sequel. Similar to fan fiction, prequels have quite the flair to weave intertextuality seamlessly into a story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One such elegantly handled prequel is the Disney movie Cruella<\/em>, which serves as a precursor to the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians<\/em>. In many ways, it attempts to humanise an evil villain who\u2019s better known for her love of skinning puppies to make \u2018fashionable\u2019 coats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Deliberate intertextuality serves a great many purposes for writers. Here are a few of them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When in fifth grade, I had to study an abridged version of Ulysses<\/em> by the 20th century Irish author James Joyce. What I didn\u2019t know then was that my copy was a watered-down-meant-for-kids version of an epic novel, which was in itself a translation of the epic poem Odyssey<\/em> by ancient Greek poet Homer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ulysses<\/em> is a great example of deliberate intertextuality in literature, where translation and change in form create a whole new piece of work, despite being directly derived from another known text. Joyce has structured his novel similarly to the original poem. However, the duration of his storyline only runs for the course of a day following the hero Leopold Bloom\u2019s realistic life in early 20th<\/sup> century Ireland, whereas the ancient poem narrates the hero Odysseus\u2019 decade-long mythical journey back home from Troy to Ithaca. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The very allegorical name and character \u2013 Cruella \u2013 renders itself beautifully to intertextuality. It calls into question how much notoriety classifies as \u2018cruel\u2019 because this puppy-skinning villain from 101 Dalmatians<\/em> is surprisingly fond of dogs in the prequel and only plays<\/em> the part of a supposed dalmatian-murderer, whilst still using her friends to get what she wants, all the while being mean to them. The backstory of Cruella really makes us wonder what pushed her to be the heartless being she is in 101 Dalmatians<\/em>, and even gets us to sympathise with her throughout the movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The similarities between Bella Swan of Twilight<\/em> and Anastasia Steele of 50 Shades of Grey<\/em> are uncanny. They\u2019re both young, awkward, lip-biting brunettes, who\u2019re sexually and romantically inexperienced. They both fall for handsome, young, rich men with dark secrets \u2013 Edward Cullen of Twilight<\/em> is a vampire, and Christian Grey of 50 Shades<\/em> is a sexual sadist. The women are \u2018prey\u2019, the experienced men their \u2018predators\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, despite such heavily similar characters and themes, EL James’ 50 Shades<\/em> manages to stand out as a whole new category from Twilight. While Twilight<\/em> can be read as young adult and teenage fiction, 50 Shades<\/em> has a solid place in the erotica hall of fame. Still, 50 Shades<\/em> keeps the love story of Twilight<\/em> alive in spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie Shrek<\/em>, and the whole franchise, parodies the very concept of a fairytale. This example of deliberate intertextuality shows how an entire collection of stories, even canon, can be turned upside down to set a new precedent for what can be considered a \u2018happy ending\u2019. Shrek is an ogre, not a charming prince. He\u2019s sent on an expedition to save Princess Fiona by Lord Farquaad, rather than Farquaad venturing on the quest himself. And even though marrying Shrek means she\u2019d remain a \u2018hideous\u2019 ogress for the rest of her life, Fiona chooses this fate for love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Retelling popular narratives is a great way to connect with newer audiences. You have no idea how happy watching the Disney movie Brave<\/em> made me. The story is a subversion of several Disney fairytales. Merida, the protagonist, is nothing like other Disney princesses whom modern girls or women don\u2019t have much in common with. She\u2019s wild, outdoorsy, hates dressing up, and has no interest in princes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This intertextuality example is one where the very narrative of a well-known genre \u2013 fairytale \u2013 changes dramatically. In fairytales, external situations lead the princesses to their dangerous fates. In Brave<\/em>, Merida sets in motion a series of problems, all by herself, and (unlike other princesses waiting for their charming princes to rescue them) manages to fix them all by herself too. It\u2019s a very empowering \u2013 and modern \u2013 notion that girls and women, and people in general, are the leaders of their own lives and that they can choose to rescue themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your readers can recognise and understand intertextuality, then their reading experience becomes that much richer. It adds multiple layers of meaning, context, and depth, making it a culturally complex and enriching experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some ways in which you can use intertextuality in your own writing<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key factors that decide what kind of deliberate intertextuality would suit your writing are how you\u2019d like to connect with your reader and whether or not the reference to another work you make is relatable for your target reader. If your reader can\u2019t understand, or even notice, your references, then intertextuality is a moot point, even if your own story is credible and complete in and of itself. This is especially the case in parodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing with intertextuality is that whether or not you\u2019re aware of it, in all probability your writing already includes it. But if you can make it a deliberate tool in your craft, it can bring a whole new level of creativity to your writing and a complete other experience to your reader\u2019s understanding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding similarities between stories is a rather satisfying activity. Intertextuality just adds that extra layer of meaning and a dose of excitement when we can see similar patterns in two different stories. But what exactly is intertextuality? You know how we are influenced by certain books we read or films and series we watch or<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17576,"featured_media":497655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[27498],"class_list":["post-497639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novel-writing","tag-idea-generator"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is Intertextuality<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Types Of intertextuality<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Latent Intertextuality<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Deliberate Intertextuality<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/article-image.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDifferent Forms Of Intertextuality<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Translation And Form <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Retellings <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Parodies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fan Fiction <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prequels <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/article-image2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUses Of Intertextuality And Intertextuality Examples<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To Change The Form Of A Text<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To Redo Or Renew A Character<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To Keep A Story Alive <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To Rethink Endings<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To Rewrite A Narrative <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/article-image1-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow To Use Intertextuality In Your Writing<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Intertextuality: Top Tip <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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