Intertextuality
The relationship between texts created through references, echoes, allusions, quotations, and responses to earlier or contemporary works. Intertextuality acknowledges that texts exist within networks of influence and response.
Real World
Jean Rhys's *Wide Sargasso Sea* rewrites *Jane Eyre* from Bertha Mason's perspective, directly challenging Brontë's marginalisation of a colonial woman — a text that only gains its full power when read against its source.
Exam Focus
When discussing intertextuality, always explain what new meaning the echo or allusion creates, not just that the reference exists.
How well did you know this?