Intertextuality: Ways of Reading
Introduction:
This activity encourages you to explore texts in new ways. Critical theory is simply
another way of reading texts, and intertextuality examines the relationship between
texts. It can be helpful to think of literature as an echo chamber, where texts
reverberate and react to one another. For example, Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel
Jane Eyre is a much loved romance but also utilizes the quest plot popularized by
John Bunyan’s seventeenth century religious text The Pilgrim’s Process. The
intertextual relationship between these two novels is important as it highlights the
Christian message in Jane Eyre, and partially explains Bronte’s moral agenda.
As the definition detailed, intertextuality is often taught as an introduction to more
complicated forms of literary theory, and can refer to an obvious literary allusion
within a text, a re-write of an earlier text or an unconscious reference to another form
of text. So, Jane Smiley’s novel A Thousand Acres, a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s
King Lear set in the American Midwest, would be an example of intertextuality, as
would Biblical references in any work.
Intertextuality can also be used to explore other media. You may have noticed that
the online article discussed the film The Matrix and even the way The Simpsons
incorporates many references to popular culture, for instance. In The Simpsons in
particular, intertextuality is usually used for comic effect. For example, we laugh at
jokes about Star Trek because we are familiar with this well-known franchise. It
makes The Simpsons seem more “real” and authentic to have references to
television shows, books or plays that its audience will be able to recognize. In a
similar way, Madonna’s 2005 single “Hung Up” sampled the introduction to ABBA’s
famed 1970s hit “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” to reinforce
Madonna’s intention to produce a disco track. Intertextuality in literature works in a
very similar way, and by tracing the routes of the literary references or allusions, we
often learn more about the text we are analyzing.
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An Example of Intertextual Analysis:
Read Langston Hughes’ 1949 poem “Democracy” below:
Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.
I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.
I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.
I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.
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Hughes was an African American political poet most famous for his poetry in the
pre-Civil Rights era of American history. “Democracy” is one of many poems in
which he articulates the plight of African Americans. His message is clear,
calling for immediate action and wryly commenting that, “I do not need my
freedom when I’m dead.” His metrical fluency and imaginative use of rhythm
(look, for example, how the beat changes from stanza to stanza) earned him a
reputation as the “Jazz Poet”. Buried beneath the clever use of language in this
innovative lyric, however, is an interesting use of intertextuality. In the third
stanza, the speaker states that: “I tire so of hearing people say, /
Let things take their course. / Tomorrow is another day.” This seems
straightforward enough - yet you may have recognised that “Tomorrow is
another day” is a famous line from Gone With The Wind. Margaret Mitchell’s
Pulitzer Prize winning novel was published in 1936 and the multiple Oscarwinning film was released three years later. The novel tells the story of the
feckless Scarlett O’Hara against the violent backdrop of the American Civil War
(1861-65). The film version in particular utilised Scarlett’s self-help phrase of
“Tomorrow is another day” to illustrate her steely determination and it is
famously the last line of the film when Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable)
finally leaves her.
So why would Langston Hughes allude to a famous film and novel in his poem
about the battle for civil rights? It becomes clearer after researching Gone With
the Wind’s production history. Mitchell was criticised for her portrayal of African
Americans as they tend to appear throughout the text as cowardly and stupid
slaves. Scarlett’s racist language (although fairly typical of the historical period)
has also been well documented. More importantly, the African American
characters seem to embody the “happy slave” archetype, eager to serve
Scarlett. This was how slavery was often justified in the States and Mitchell’s
depiction of slavery received heavy criticism from pro-Civil Rights quarters. As
such, it is hugely significant that Hughes uses a famous line from a book and
film notorious for its portrayal of race. By using this intertextual reference,
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Hughes makes his poem more immediate and relevant and also critiques
current attitudes to African Americans. He argues that the attitudes prevalent in
such popular fare as Gone With the Wind are inherently wrong, and that urgent
depiction of slavery received heavy criticism from pro-Civil Rights quarters. As
such, it is hugely significant that Hughes uses a famous line from a book and
film notorious for its portrayal of race. By using this intertextual reference,
Hughes makes his poem more immediate and relevant and also critiques
current attitudes to African Americans. He argues that the attitudes prevalent in
such popular fare as Gone With the Wind are inherently wrong, and that urgent
action is needed to ascertain rights for African Americans, and ends the poem
with a call for freedom. As such, exploring the intertextual reference within the
poem actually helps us to understand Hughes’ political intentions more clearly,
and considerably aids our analysis of the poem.
Langston Hughes at work
Remember that your exploration of intertextuality doesn’t have to end here? How
many more texts can you analyse in this way? How does this aid your understanding
of them? Good luck!
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