​ ​Horesh​ ​1

Divya​ ​Horesh

Elizabeth​ ​Peterson

English​ ​1100

November​ ​27,​ ​2017

Intertextuality​ ​in​ ​Post-Modern​ ​and​ ​Contemporary​ ​Literature

Throughout​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​people​ ​have​ ​told​ ​stories.​ ​Uncountable​ ​trillions​ ​of

stories​ ​have​ ​been​ ​put​ ​out​ ​into​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​traveling​ ​by​ ​word​ ​of​ ​mouth,​ ​paper,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​recently,

the​ ​internet.​ ​Some​ ​stories​ ​have​ ​long​ ​outlived​ ​their​ ​original​ ​tellers,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​tales​ ​of​ ​Yellow

Woman,​ ​the​ ​Torah​,​ ​or​ ​Old​ ​Testament,​ ​and​ ​Jules​ ​Michelet.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​years,​ ​stories​ ​have​ ​evolved,

continued,​ ​or​ ​been​ ​refuted​ ​and​ ​reviewed​ ​to​ ​create​ ​even​ ​more​ ​material​ ​for​ ​mining.​ ​Julie​ ​Kristeva,

the​ ​coiner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality,​ ​says​ ​that​ ​“any​ ​text​ ​is​ ​constructed​ ​as​ ​a

mosaic​ ​of​ ​quotations;​ ​any​ ​text​ ​is​ ​the​ ​absorption​ ​and​ ​transformation​ ​of​ ​another.​ ​“​ ​Or,​ ​as​ ​my​ ​father

says,​ ​nothing​ ​exists​ ​in​ ​a​ ​vacuum.​ ​Many​ ​people​ ​have​ ​come​ ​forward​ ​over​ ​the​ ​years,​ ​saying​ ​that

there​ ​are​ ​a​ ​limited​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​possible​ ​stories​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​and​ ​that​ ​all​ ​plot​ ​is​ ​borrowed​ ​(Figgis).

Intertextuality​ ​is​ ​evident​ ​in​ ​And​ ​Of​ ​Clay​ ​We​ ​Are​ ​Created,​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman,​ ​and​ ​in​​ ​Aura,​ ​with

references​ ​to​ ​stories​ ​that​ ​have​ ​long​ ​preceded​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​be​ ​evident​ ​in​ ​fiction​ ​for

as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​there​ ​are​ ​stories.

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At​ ​first​ ​glance,​ ​And​ ​Of​ ​Clay​ ​We​ ​Are​ ​Created​ ​may​ ​not​ ​seem​ ​like​ ​it​ ​has​ ​any​ ​intertextuality

in​ ​it,​ ​but​ ​if​ ​you​ ​look​ ​deeper,​ ​the​ ​connections​ ​to​ ​Judaism​ ​are​ ​unmistakable.​ ​Every​ ​year,​ ​Jewish

people​ ​across​ ​the​ ​world​ ​reread​ ​the​​ ​Torah​,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​first​ ​thing​ ​they​ ​read​ ​is​ ​Bereishit​ ​or​ ​Genesis,​ ​in

which​ ​man​ ​is​ ​created.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​second​ ​chapter​ ​of​ ​Bereishit,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​seventh​ ​passage​ ​it​ ​says​ ​that

“God​ ​formed​ ​man​ ​of​ ​dust​ ​from​ ​the​ ​ground​ ​(Bereshit,​ ​2:7).”

The​ ​relation​ ​to​ ​this​ ​passage​ ​is​ ​apparent​ ​from​ ​the​ ​title​ ​of​ ​the​ ​story,​ ​but​ ​is​ ​made​ ​more

obvious​ ​by​ ​the​ ​flashbacks​ ​to​ ​Rolfe​ ​Carle’s​ ​experiences​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Holocaust,​ ​making​ ​it​ ​clear​ ​that​ ​he

is​ ​Jewish,​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​has​ ​a​ ​stronger​ ​connection​ ​to​ ​the​ ​name.​ ​ ​Acuzena’s​ ​descent​ ​into​ ​the​ ​ground​ ​is

reminiscent​ ​of​ ​the​ ​passage​ ​“you​ ​return​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ground,​ ​for​ ​you​ ​were​ ​taken​ ​therefrom,​ ​for​ ​dust​ ​you

are,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​dust​ ​you​ ​will​ ​return.”​ ​(Bereishit,​ ​3:19)

Further​ ​connections​ ​between​ ​Rolfe​ ​and

Azucena​ ​are​ ​strengthened​ ​by​ ​the​ ​phrase​ ​“she​ ​was

also​ ​held​ ​by​ ​the​ ​bodies​ ​of​ ​her​ ​brothers​ ​and​ ​sisters

clinging​ ​to​ ​her​ ​legs.”​ ​in​ ​comparison​ ​with​ ​the

historic​ ​photograph​ ​of​ ​the​ ​“Last​ ​Jew​ ​In​ ​Vinnitsa”

showing​ ​a​ ​Jewish​ ​man​ ​crouching​ ​above​ ​a​ ​mass

grave​ ​of​ ​Jewish​ ​people.​ ​The​ ​man​ ​is​ ​held​ ​at

gunpoint,​ ​the​ ​last​ ​to​ ​be​ ​thrown​ ​into​ ​the​ ​pit.​ ​It​ ​brings​ ​to​ ​mind​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Michael​ ​Kutz​ ​and

others​ ​who​ ​escaped​ ​this​ ​death​ ​by​ ​hiding​ ​under​ ​the​ ​bodies​ ​of​ ​their​ ​brethren,​ ​waiting​ ​until​ ​the
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Nazis​ ​left,​ ​and​ ​crawling​ ​to​ ​safety.​ ​Many​ ​survivors​ ​recount​ ​being​ ​smothered​ ​by​ ​the​ ​weight​ ​of​ ​the

bodies,​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​how​ ​Azucena​ ​was​ ​weighed​ ​down​ ​by​ ​her​ ​siblings​ ​“clinging​ ​to​ ​her​ ​legs”

(Allende).

In​ ​Jewish​ ​lore,​ ​the​ ​Golem​ ​was​ ​a​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​living​ ​clay,​ ​created​ ​for​ ​the​ ​protection​ ​of​ ​the

Jewish​ ​people.​ ​The​ ​Golem​ ​was​ ​a​ ​hero​ ​for​ ​many​ ​Jews,​ ​and​ ​when​ ​it​ ​had​ ​fulfilled​ ​its​ ​mission,

would​ ​be​ ​deactivated.​ ​In​ ​And​ ​of​ ​Clay​ ​We​ ​Are​ ​Created​,​ ​Rolfe​ ​gets​ ​a​ ​level​ ​of​ ​closure​ ​from​ ​his

encounter​ ​with​ ​Azucena.​ ​If​ ​Azucena​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Golem​ ​of​ ​this​ ​story,​ ​she​ ​dies​ ​after​ ​Carle​ ​has​ ​gained

closure.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​the​ ​hero​ ​of​ ​her​ ​own​ ​tragedy,​ ​but​ ​does​ ​not​ ​live​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​end.

Resources​ ​for​ ​Leslie​ ​Marmon​ ​Silko’s​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman​ ​are​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​find,​ ​mainly​ ​because

she​ ​has​ ​spoken​ ​prolifically​ ​about​ ​how​ ​traditional​ ​stories​ ​influenced​ ​her​ ​writing.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​no

official​ ​source​ ​material​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman​ ​stories,​ ​since​ ​they​ ​were​ ​passed​ ​down​ ​by​ ​word​ ​of

​ ellow​ ​Woman​”
mouth.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​also​ ​no​ ​way​ ​to​ ​be​ ​certain​ ​which​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman​ ​story​ ​Silko’s​ ​“Y

results​ ​from,​ ​since​ ​her​ ​story​ ​is​ ​“an​ ​extraordinarily​ ​complex​ ​blending​ ​of​ ​tradition,​ ​personal

experience,​ ​and​ ​originality​ ​(Beidler”)​ ​mainly​ ​from​ ​the​ ​traditional​ ​Cochiti​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​Yellow

Women.

Silko​ ​is​ ​quoted​ ​as​ ​having​ ​gained​ ​inspiration​ ​from​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​her​ ​girlhood.​ ​“When​ ​I​ ​was

a​ ​little​ ​girl,​ ​Aunt​ ​Alice​ ​used​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​us​ ​kids​ ​the​ ​old-time​ ​stories.​ ​.​ ​.​ ​.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​cycle​ ​of

Kochininako​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman​ ​stories​ ​which​ ​Aunt​ ​Alice​ ​seemed​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​a​ ​great​ ​deal.​ ​In​ ​most​ ​of

the​ ​stories,​ ​Kochininako​ ​is​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​courageous​ ​woman,​ ​sometimes​ ​a​ ​hunter​ ​bringing​ ​home
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rabbits​ ​for​ ​her​ ​family​ ​to​ ​eat;​ ​other​ ​times​ ​she​ ​faces​ ​dangers​ ​or​ ​hardships​ ​and​ ​overcomes​ ​them.

But​ ​in​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​Kochininako​ ​is​ ​swept​ ​away​ ​by​ ​forces​ ​and​ ​circumstances​ ​beyond​ ​her.

All​ ​realms​ ​of​ ​possibility​ ​are​ ​open​ ​to​ ​Kochininako,​ ​even​ ​that​ ​of​ ​sorcery.​ ​(Rubenstein​ ​and​ ​Larson

p.​ ​1086)

Silkos​ ​Yellow​ ​Woman​ ​has​ ​clear​ ​ties​ ​to​ ​the​ ​traditional​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Kochininako,​ ​making

it​ ​an​ ​excellent​ ​example​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality​ ​in​ ​Post-Modern​ ​literature.

Another​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Post-Modern​ ​story​ ​that​ ​utilizes​ ​Intertextuality​ ​is​ ​Aura​ ​by​ ​Carlos

Fuentes.​ ​The​ ​story​ ​begins​ ​with​ ​a​ ​poetic​ ​excerpt​ ​from​ ​Jules​ ​Michelet’s​ ​ ​La​ ​Sorcie`re,​ ​detailing

the​ ​relationships​ ​between​ ​women​ ​and​ ​the​ ​magic​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​This​ ​connects​ ​to​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Aura​,

where​ ​an​ ​old​ ​woman,​ ​through​ ​what​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​magic,​ ​manipulates​ ​a​ ​young​ ​man​ ​into​ ​her​ ​home.

Fuentes​ ​was​ ​accused​ ​of​ ​absorbing​ ​Western​ ​styles​ ​to​ ​influence​ ​his​ ​writing,​ ​and​ ​rather​ ​than

retorting​ ​that​ ​he​ ​had​ ​done​ ​no​ ​such​ ​thing,​ ​Fuentes​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​his​ ​use​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality​ ​was

intentional,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​placed​ ​even​ ​more​ ​references​ ​in​ ​his​ ​other​ ​works​ ​(Lie​ ​5).​ ​ ​Indeed​ ​Fuentes

says​ ​something​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​my​ ​father.​ ​His​ ​writing​ ​does​ ​not​ ​exist​ ​in​ ​a​ ​vacuum​ ​and​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be

foolish​ ​for​ ​him​ ​to​ ​pretend​ ​that​ ​it​ ​did.

“This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​great​ ​advantage​ ​of​ ​time:​ ​the​ ​so-called​ ​"author"​ ​ceases​ ​to​ ​be​ ​such;​ ​he​ ​becomes

an​ ​invisible​ ​agent​ ​for​ ​him​ ​who​ ​signed​ ​the​ ​book,​ ​published​ ​it​ ​and​ ​collected​ ​(and​ ​goes​ ​on

collecting)​ ​the​ ​royalties.​ ​But​ ​the​ ​book​ ​was​ ​written​ ​-​ ​it​ ​always​ ​was,​ ​it​ ​always​ ​is​ ​-​ ​by​ ​others”
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(Fuentes).​ ​Very​ ​few​ ​authors​ ​are​ ​open-minded​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​be​ ​this​ ​self-aware,​ ​but​ ​many​ ​of​ ​those

who​ ​are​ ​are​ ​very​ ​well​ ​known.

Perhaps​ ​the​ ​most​ ​widespread​ ​form​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality​ ​in​ ​our​ ​times​ ​is​ ​Fanfiction.​ ​ ​Prevalent

authors​ ​like​ ​Neil​ ​Gaiman​ ​and​ ​J.K.​ ​Rowling​ ​have​ ​come​ ​out​ ​in​ ​favour​ ​of​ ​fanfiction,​ ​a​ ​form​ ​of

writing​ ​where​ ​characters​ ​from​ ​published​ ​stories​ ​are​ ​placed​ ​into​ ​other​ ​situations.​ ​Entire​ ​websites

are​ ​dedicated​ ​to​ ​these​ ​forms,​ ​and​ ​millions​ ​of​ ​stories​ ​are​ ​read​ ​every​ ​day.​ ​However,​ ​authors​ ​like

Anne​ ​Rice​ ​used​ ​to​ ​launch​ ​lawsuits​ ​against​ ​fanfiction​ ​authors,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​common​ ​precursor​ ​to

fanfictions​ ​were​ ​disclaimers​ ​of​ ​ownership.​ ​However,​ ​in​ ​2011,​ ​a​ ​fanfiction​ ​based​ ​off​ ​of​ ​the

popular​ ​Paranormal​ ​Romance​ ​series​ ​Twilight​ ​was​ ​edited​ ​and​ ​published​ ​as​ ​Fifty​ ​Shades​ ​of​ ​Grey,

a​ ​book​ ​that​ ​has​ ​spawned​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​its​ ​own​ ​and​ ​multiple​ ​movies.​ ​The​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​these​ ​stories​ ​in

the​ ​mainstream​ ​shows​ ​acceptance​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality.

The​ ​acceptance​ ​of​ ​Intertextuality​ ​in​ ​our​ ​world​ ​is​ ​growing,​ ​and​ ​while​ ​it​ ​is​ ​sometimes​ ​hard

deciding​ ​where​ ​to​ ​draw​ ​the​ ​line​ ​of​ ​what​ ​belongs​ ​to​ ​whom,​ ​I​ ​think​ ​Intertextuality​ ​is​ ​a​ ​natural

characteristic​ ​of​ ​ ​all​ ​fiction,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​Post-Modern.​ ​As​ ​Neil​ ​Gaiman​ ​said​ ​in​ ​a​ ​2002​ ​blog​ ​post,​ ​“​As

long​ ​as​ ​nobody's​ ​making​ ​money​ ​from​ ​it​ ​that​ ​should​ ​be​ ​an​ ​author​ ​or​ ​creator's,​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​mind​ ​it.

And​ ​I​ ​think​ ​it​ ​does​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​good.”​ ​Although​ ​purists​ ​may​ ​hate,​ ​Intertextuality​ ​has​ ​ben​ ​here​ ​since

the​ ​very​ ​first​ ​stories.​ ​Intertextuality​ ​is​ ​thriving,​ ​and​ ​here​ ​to​ ​stay.
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Beidler,​ ​Peter,​ ​et​ ​al.​ ​“Silko's​ ​Originality​ ​in​ ​‘Yellow​ ​Woman.’”​ ​Studies​ ​in​ ​American

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