Writing That References Writing — Intertextuality (2)

Character attributes can be intertextual 

Themes, conflicts.. can always be traced back to earlier narratives.

This is because texts often borrow structure, not just words.

Just like every building is different, but are built with same materials.

Stories have bearing walls, they can be different but have same thematic conversation. 

Authority and power struggles, tradition/culture, family dynamics, social tension, anxiety, peer pressure. etc.

Proverbs is also an example of intertextuality, referencing oral tradition, to communal wisdom, to stories told long before the written one.

At times, intertextuality is even subtler.

A title, a character’s journey, or a familiar tragic ending can mirror another story.

The reader may not always name the connection, but they feel that they've experienced it before.

Princess Ella