Intertextual transitions in contemporary Canadian literature

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This volume presents a comprehensive introduction to intertextuality, followed by in-depth analyses of notable postmodern Canadian texts. Each section begins with a theoretical overview before delving into the intertextual dynamics within the examined novels and plays. The premise is that all expressions are influenced by prior works, making texts inherently intertextual. Consequently, meanings and literary placements are fluid, shifting with new interpretations. Intertextuality emerges as a crucial element in the creation and reception of literature. Ann-Marie MacDonald’s play, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), showcases numerous creative appropriations of earlier texts. Melanie Schrage-Lang’s analysis sets intertextual parameters within feminist and postcolonial frameworks, revealing the interpretive depth of the Shakespearean intertexts. She argues that the play transcends mere intertextual references, functioning as an allegory of intertextuality itself. Similarly, Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad and Aritha van Herk’s The Tent Peg deconstruct and reconstruct archetypes and myths rooted in Western culture. Martina Hörnicke employs gender studies and myth criticism to illuminate the complex intertextual processes at play, ultimately revealing a meta-mythology that underpins the texts, their intertexts, and their ideological contexts.