🔤English 9 Unit 12 – Comparative Literature and Intertextuality

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Comparative literature examines literary works across cultural, linguistic, and national boundaries
• Intertextuality refers to the relationships and connections between texts, including allusions, references, and influences
  • Can be explicit (direct quotations) or implicit (thematic or structural similarities)
• Canon encompasses the body of works considered most significant and influential within a particular culture or literary tradition
• Translation plays a crucial role in comparative literature, enabling the study of texts across languages
• Influence describes how one text or author shapes the creation and reception of another
• Reception theory focuses on how readers interpret and respond to literary works across time and space
• Interdisciplinarity involves drawing on methods and insights from other fields (history, philosophy, sociology) to enrich literary analysis

Historical Context of Comparative Literature

• Emerged as a distinct academic discipline in the 19th century, particularly in Europe and the United States
• Early comparatists focused on tracing the influence and transmission of ideas across national literatures
• Goethe's concept of "world literature" (Weltliteratur) emphasized the universal qualities of great works and the importance of cross-cultural exchange
• Comparative literature departments and programs proliferated in the mid-20th century, reflecting a growing interest in international and interdisciplinary approaches
• Postcolonial and feminist theories in the late 20th century challenged Eurocentric and male-dominated canons, expanding the scope of comparative study
• Globalization and digital technologies in the 21st century have further facilitated the circulation and comparison of texts across borders

Major Theories and Approaches

• Influence studies trace the impact of one writer or text on another, often across linguistic or cultural boundaries
• Thematic criticism identifies and analyzes recurring themes, motifs, and archetypes across multiple works
• Formalism emphasizes close reading and attention to literary devices, structures, and styles
• Structuralism seeks to uncover the underlying systems and patterns that govern literary production and meaning
• Poststructuralism challenges the stability of meaning and highlights the role of language, discourse, and power in shaping interpretation
• Postcolonial theory examines the cultural, political, and psychological effects of colonialism and imperialism on literature and society
• Feminist and gender studies approaches investigate the representation and construction of gender identities, roles, and relations in literary texts

Intertextuality: Forms and Functions

• Allusion refers to brief, indirect references to other texts, often to evoke associations or comparisons
• Quotation involves the direct reproduction of words or passages from another text, often to lend authority, provide commentary, or create irony
• Pastiche imitates the style or content of another text or genre, often as a form of homage or critique
• Parody mocks or subverts the conventions or assumptions of a particular text or genre, often for humorous or satirical effect
• Adaptation transforms a text from one medium or genre to another (novel to film, play to musical)
• Appropriation borrows elements from one text or culture and incorporates them into a new context, often to challenge dominant narratives or power structures
• Intertextuality can serve various functions, such as establishing a literary tradition, engaging in cultural critique, or exploring universal themes and experiences

Case Studies and Literary Examples

• James Joyce's "Ulysses" is a modern retelling of Homer's "Odyssey," using the structure and themes of the epic to explore the inner lives of ordinary Dubliners
• Jean Rhys's "Wide Sargasso Sea" is a postcolonial prequel to Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre," giving voice to the marginalized character of Bertha Mason
• Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" reimagines Shakespeare's "Hamlet" from the perspective of two minor characters
• Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" appropriates and subverts the colonial narrative of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," offering an African perspective on the encounter between cultures
• Kamel Daoud's "The Meursault Investigation" is a response to Albert Camus's "The Stranger," exploring the aftermath of the murder from the victim's brother's point of view
• Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" draws on Islamic history and theology to create a fantastical, irreverent exploration of faith, identity, and migration
• Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad" retells the story of Homer's "Odyssey" from the perspective of Odysseus's wife Penelope, highlighting issues of gender and power

Analysis Techniques and Methods

• Close reading involves careful, detailed analysis of a text's language, structure, and style to uncover layers of meaning
• Contextual analysis situates a text within its historical, cultural, and biographical contexts to better understand its production and reception
• Comparative analysis examines similarities and differences between two or more texts, often to illuminate broader patterns or themes
• Thematic analysis traces the development and significance of a particular theme or motif across multiple works
• Linguistic analysis attends to the specific words, phrases, and grammatical structures used in a text and their effects on meaning and interpretation
• Rhetorical analysis examines how a text uses language and other strategies to persuade, influence, or communicate with its audience
• Interdisciplinary analysis draws on concepts and methods from other fields (history, psychology, anthropology) to enrich the understanding of a literary work

Critical Debates and Controversies

• Canon formation and revision: Who determines which works are considered "great" or "essential," and how do these judgments reflect and reinforce cultural biases and power structures?
• Authorial intention: To what extent should an author's stated or implied intentions shape the interpretation of a text, and how can these intentions be reliably determined?
• Universality vs. particularity: Can certain themes, experiences, or qualities be considered universal across cultures and time periods, or is all meaning inherently context-dependent?
• Originality and influence: How do we assess the originality or novelty of a work, and how do we trace its influence on later texts without reducing them to mere imitations?
• Politics of representation: How do literary texts represent and construct identities, communities, and power relations, and what are the ethical and political implications of these representations?
• Role of the reader: How do readers' own identities, experiences, and expectations shape their interpretation of a text, and how can diverse readerships be accounted for in literary analysis?
• Value of comparison: What are the benefits and limitations of comparative analysis, and how can it avoid flattening or essentializing the texts and cultures being compared?

Practical Applications and Skills

• Develops critical thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze texts from multiple perspectives and to question assumptions and biases
• Enhances cultural literacy by exposing students to a wide range of literary traditions, genres, and historical contexts
• Improves close reading and textual analysis skills, enabling students to uncover layers of meaning and to appreciate the craft of literary works
• Fosters creativity and imagination by encouraging students to draw connections between texts and to envision alternative interpretations or adaptations
• Promotes effective communication and argumentation by requiring students to articulate and defend their interpretations using evidence from the texts
• Cultivates empathy and intercultural understanding by immersing students in the experiences and perspectives of diverse characters and cultures
• Prepares students for a variety of careers that require critical thinking, cultural competence, and communication skills (education, publishing, journalism, law, diplomacy)