Intertextuality

Intertextuality, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is "the connections between different works of literature and art, and the meanings that are created by them ". The term itself was coined by the Bulgarian philosopher - Julia Kristeva, in the 1960's.

Additionally, the Polish historian, Ryszard Nycz, considers the term to be a category, that includes the general canon of fiction, as well as the relations shared between different works of art. (Intertextuality and its ranges: texts, genres, worlds) 

Nycz believes that every "text", as he puts it, is dependent on other works, as well as the interpretation of them by a given author. 

Literary norms and techniques, clichés, rules of genres and sub-genres. All of these create a web of connections between works of art, through inspiration, parody, pastiche etc.

Examples:
-The Hero's Journey, as put in Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces perfectly points out the similarities between many modern stories and the classic, Greek myths.
-In The Matrix, directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, there are many references to the famous book - Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll.
-The hit video game Bioshock was heavily inspired by Ayn Rand's classic book called Atlas Shrugged. The similar motives and themes were communicated through gameplay, art direction and direct symbolism, related to the Titan from Greek Mythology - Atlas (which also is an example of intertextuality). 

Sources:
A. Rand, Atlas shrugged, Penguin, USA 2005.
"Intertextuality" from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pl/dictionary/english/intertextuality
J. Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Princeton University Press, Princeton 2008.
L. Carroll,  Alice in Wonderland,  Camelot Editora, Brasil 2002.
R. Nycz, Intertextuality and its ranges: texts, genres, worlds), Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2008.
The Matrix, L. Wachowski, L. Wachowski, Warner Bros. Studios, USA 1999.
2K Boston, Bioshock, Feral Interactive, USA 2007.

Paweł Ciarka, 560752