What’s intertextuality?
To put it lightly, intertextuality is the fucking bomb. As defined by Kristen LaBarca, intertextuality is when a “writer references another work” in their own piece (LaBarca 1). Intertextuality exists in small forms (brief references) and big forms (when one piece is entirely based on another).
Where might I see this in action?
An example of this would be when characters in The Sopranos momentarily compare their lives to characters from The Godfather. This allows the show to make points to the audience about both pieces. Specifically, in season 6 Anthony Junior attempts to enact revenge on his great-uncle because of the to kill his father. He does this despite his father specifically telling him not to. His attempt at vengeance fails miserably, leading to Anthony being arrested and then bailed out by his father, Tony. Tony screams angrily at Anthony for what he has done, but Anthony replies that Tony should be proud of him because he was acting like Michael Corleone in Tony’s favorite film.
This is a simple technique that effectively comments on The Sopranos, The Godfather, and culture in general. Anthony Junior is influenced as much by entertainment as he is by his father. This means that his moral views have been twisted and morphed. The dramatic actions that are justifiable in fiction like The Godfather are more complicated in real life. This truly layered message was only possible through intertextuality.
Intertextuality is a genius method for one to utilize in writing because it crushes multiple birds with a single stone. It allows authors to “stand on the shoulders of giants” in a way and establish concepts to a viewer efficiently, rather than wasting time explaining things (Newton). I actually just used intertextuality by quoting Isaac Newton. I was able to use another person’s words to get my point across effectively, making my post better in the process.
Works Cited
LaBarca, Kristen. “Intertextuality.” Writing For Digital Spaces. Chris Friend Writing For Digital
Spaces. https://books.chrisfriend.us/3080/chapter/intertextuality-2/
Newton, Isaac. “Letter to Robert Hooke.” 1675.
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