11.3 Intertextuality and Pastiche in Postmodern Works

Intertextuality connects texts through references and influences, while pastiche imitates styles without satirical intent. These concepts are key in postmodern literature, which rejects grand narratives and blurs boundaries between high and low culture.

Writers use techniques like direct quotations, reimagining classics, and mixing genres to incorporate intertextual elements. Parody and irony play crucial roles, creating multiple layers of meaning and subverting expectations in postmodern works.

Concepts of Intertextuality and Pastiche

Intertextuality and pastiche concepts

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• Intertextuality interconnects texts through references and influences coined by Julia Kristeva in 1960s based on idea all texts influenced by other texts (Bible, Shakespeare)
• Pastiche imitates or combines various styles, genres, or elements often paying homage to earlier works differs from parody lacks satirical intent (Quentin Tarantino films)
• Postmodern literature rejects grand narratives emphasizes fragmentation and non-linear storytelling blurs boundaries between high and low culture (Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five")

Incorporation of textual elements

• Incorporation techniques:
  1. Direct quotations or allusions to other works
  2. Reimagining classic stories or characters in new contexts
  3. Mixing elements from different genres or mediums
• Subversion methods challenge traditional narrative structures deconstruct familiar tropes juxtapose contrasting styles (James Joyce's "Ulysses")
• Postmodern works using intertextuality include John Barth's "Lost in the Funhouse" Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest"

Parody, Irony, and Effects of Intertextuality

Parody and irony in intertextuality

• Parody imitates work or style with critical or humorous intent comments on original work or genre employs exaggeration or absurdism (Don Quixote)
• Irony in postmodern intertextuality includes verbal, situational, and dramatic types creates multiple layers of meaning highlights contradictions in narratives (Catch-22)
• Parody and irony relate to intertextuality as critical forms subvert expectations question authority and meaning (The Simpsons)

Effects of intertextual techniques

• Reader engagement encourages active participation rewards knowledge of referenced texts creates intellectual playfulness (T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land")
• Multiplicity of meanings allows various interpretations based on recognized connections challenges single authoritative reading (Jorge Luis Borges's stories)
• Cultural commentary reflects interconnectedness of cultural products critiques or celebrates literary traditions (Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead")
• Temporal and spatial collapse brings together different time periods and cultural contexts creates sense of timelessness in themes (Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell)
• Challenges to authorship and originality question concept of originality emphasize collaborative nature of cultural production (Roland Barthes's "The Death of the Author")