What is intertextuality?

Learning Intention: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to describe intertextuality, identify examples in literature, and explain its purpose.

Lesson Starter: Pick up the pop culture, historical and social references during these film clips

What is literary theory?

A Literary theory enables readers and critics a better understanding of literature through close readings and contextual insights. It is a school of thought or style of literary analysis that gives readers a means to critique the ideas and principles of literature from a particularly perspective or point of view.

Intertextuality is part of literary theory.

What is Intertextuality?

Think of a movie or book that reminds them of another story. Have a few students share their examples.

All texts deal with ideas, meanings and perspectives.

And all texts have their own distinctive and recognisable features.

Intertextuality is the relationship between texts, where one text references or draws meaning from another. It can include allusions, quotations, parodies, or reimagining of other works.

So to use intertextuality, composers find specific texts that explore a useful idea.

"This idea can either extend, enrich or challenge their own, depending on the purpose of the intertextual reference."

What is its purpose?

Intertextuality is a powerful technique employed by composers to create multiple layers of meaning.

All texts have certain messages or portray certain perspectives on ideas, therefore, if a composer decides to reference another text, there has to be some connection between the two texts. They might explore a similar idea as the referenced text or they could challenge widely acccepted views. This can make us think and re-interrep the refenced text's meaning, or see common ideals, issues or values that are explored across texts.

It can be hard to identify intertextuality if you don't have a wide knowledge of different texts/art/pop culture. This can be rectified by continually reading/viewing a variety of different texts.

Types of Intertextuality

Explicit references: Direct quotes or mentions of other works
Implicit references: Subtle allusions or structural similarities, symbols
Parody: Humorous imitation of another work
Appropriation A reworking or re-imagination of a well-knowen text to change, or extend its meaning.
Adaptation: Retelling a story in a new context

Examples

James Joyce's "Ulysses" as a modern retelling of Homer's "Odyssey"
"The Lion King" drawing inspiration from Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" referencing various mythologies and literary works

The short excerpt from this text that contains intertextual references.

Identify the intertextual elements
Determine the type of intertextuality used
Explain how it enhances the meaning of the text

What is an Adaptation?

A film adaptation transfers a dramatic or literary narrative to the cinematic form. Far from being “derivative” or a secondary form of art, film adaptations are highly original artistic ventures. An adaptation achieves far more than simply visualising a textual narrative. The following diagram shows one of the misconceptions about adaptation, with a so-called original text on the left and a “product,” a film adaptation, on the right.

It will have intertextual references to the origin text.

The following non-hierarchical honeycomb diagram shows what really happens in adaptation. As shown by the diagram, an adaptation is part and parcel of many texts, intertexts, and pragmatic concerns. The so-called “original” text is merely one part of this network of cultural resources rather than a point of origin for artistic creativity.

What parts can be adapted in a text?

Activity:

Think about the text you have selected for your own adaptation:

How would its elements be deconstructed and leveraged to engage new audiences?
Does the quality of a text shape the potential adaptation? Justify your reasoning.

Literary adaptation is a delicate art, transforming one text into another. It's about capturing the essence of a book while making it work on screen. This process involves key elements like theme, characters, and plot. Adapting different genres presents unique challenges.

Take your Text

What parts would you think would be "ripe" for adaptation? Would your text make a successful adaptation? Let's discuss.

Take away-

Students understand that intertextuality is intrinsic to composition and response:

• texts are recontextualised for different times, modes, media and cultures

• texts are variations on, or borrow from, other texts

• intertextuality involves references gained through experience of a wide range of texts from the canon to popular culture.

Simpsons Do Intertextuality

Exit ticket

Write a brief paragraph describing intertextuality and its purpose in literature.

Homework: Review your original text to use for next week's formative task. Do some research into the narrative, characters, themes, literary techniques in preparation for your response.

Think, Pair Share Activity:

In small groups. examine the readings provided in the Collaboration Onenote section discussing Intertextuality.

Independently:

Read the article provided
Highlight words you do not understand
Underline key points

Code:

! to indicate point of interest

* to indicate unsure

? to indicate a question about the idea/ concept.

X to indicate disagreement.

Discuss:

Findings with group-

What was the essence of your piece

Then with class.

Enrichment Task

These task encourage writers to engage with existing texts, reinterpret them, and create new meanings through intertextual connections. It provide opportunities for creative expression while fostering an appreciation for literary traditions and cultural references.

Instructions:

Select one of the prompts below.

Craft an imaginative piece of writing in response to the stimulus

Length: 700-1500 words

Craft a justification (reflection) which explains what intertextual references you made, what origin text were referenced, what type of intertextuality was predominant and how intertextuality helped you to achieve your purpose as a composer. You should provide evidence in the form of quotes from your piece.

Length: 300-500 words.

Writing Prompts:

Here are some creative writing prompts that involve intertextuality:

Write a short story that combines characters from two different literary works, exploring how they might interact in a new setting
Create a poem that references and reinterprets famous lines from well-known poems or songs.
Compose a narrative that parallels the structure of a classic myth or legend, but set in a contemporary context.
Write a parody of a popular movie or TV show plot, transplanting it into a different genre or time period.
Craft a story that uses the same narrative structure as a famous novel, but with entirely new characters and settings.
Create a piece that incorporates quotes or allusions from various works of literature, weaving them into a cohesive narrative.
Write a sequel or prequel to a well-known story, exploring untold aspects of the original plot or characters.
Compose a dialogue between two characters from different literary works, discussing a contemporary issue.
Rewrite a scene from a classic play in a modern setting, adapting the language and situations to reflect current times.

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