Category: IB

How does intertextuality contribute to meaning within texts?

Intertextuality is the relationship that two texts have with each other, often times the use of intertextuality enhances the meaning and range of interpretations that can be gained from a single text. The use of intertextual references is very dependent on a reader’s knowledge and understanding of both the context and ideas of the text being referenced. An author may choose to use a specific text to reference because it is widely known by a range of audiences or has a significant meaning to their target audience. Intertextual references are often grounded in a significant aspect of culture or religion for an author’s intended audience. For example, in Carol Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife, the poem “Little Red Cap” has clear intertextual references to the old folktale of Little Red Riding Hood. Given that the old folktale is about a little girl riding through the woods to see her grandmother and her chance encounter with a wolf, the folktale has many connotations with the ideas of innocence and naivety. However, Carol Ann Duffy uses the reader’s understanding of these connotations to create a greater level of nuance to her own version of the story, putting greater emphasis on the ideas of a loss of innocence and adventure as one grows older. Carol Ann Duffy is able to use this old folktale and its connotations to give her own text a deeper meaning without having to explicitly explain everything because the reader already has an understanding of the text being referenced. Meaning within texts can be greatly enhanced with the help of intertextual references and can make a reader resonate more strongly with a text. The cultural, religious, and political significance of a text often plays a large role in either strengthening or weakening a reader’s appreciation of a text, but it almost always contributes to the intended and unintended meanings of a single text.

What is gained and lost through the use of intertextuality?

Intertextuality is a powerful tool in literature that allows an author to create another level of meaning in their text, however, it can also result in the creation of many unintended interpretations and understandings depending on a reader’s personal context. Intertextuality often contributes to a reader’s understanding when they know about the text being referenced. For example, in Obama’s eulogy for a Charleston pastor following a mass shooting, he made many intertextual references to god and the bible. These references were effective given that his main target audience were citizens of the United States, who are mostly of Christian upbringing or have lived in the culturally Christian United States. By using these biblical intertextual references, Obama was able to provide a sense of hope and security to the viewers following the tragedy, because their interpretation of these biblical references is associated with what Christianity means to them. Similarly, people living in the United States who are not Christian or familiar with Christian values and ideologies would not have the same level of appreciation or the same interpretation as Christians. What is lost is a sense of connection between Obama and the citizens of the United States who are of different religions and cultural backgrounds. Their interpretation of his speech would most likely result in an understanding that was unintended by Obama. Intertextuality can provide many things to a text, however, it is important to consider the context of a text’s creation before choosing which texts to reference, as intertextuality can contribute to both intended and unintended interpretations of a text.

What you read

Over the summer of 2019, I read many articles from The Economist. I read a number of different articles that delved into the economic statuses and political situations of various countries in the world. Despite reading different issues, I was always particularly interested in their sections on Asia and China given the current conflict in Hong Kong and the prominent trade war between the United States and China.

Personal response

From what I have read in these articles, I have found that both economic and political stability seems to be wavering around the region of Asia. Despite the ongoing trade war being between China and the United States, actions from both countries have certainly had an impact on other countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Similarly, the situation in Hong Kong has escalated greatly and is now having an impact on the lives of the few non-protestors living in Hong Kong. Personally, I think that reading articles on topics such as these ones over the summer has helped me maintain an understanding of current global events, enhancing my ability to formulate an opinion on such matters. Furthermore, reading articles from The Economist has also helped me exercise my skills in critical thinking over the summer and allowed me to apply the new textual analysis skills learned in English last year.

Literary/Non-literary features

Most, if not all, pieces of writing in The Economist are news articles and contain features that distinguish news articles from other types of writing. Images play a big role in the creation of an article in The Economist, as there is often a relevant image or comic/cartoon that is coupled along with the lengthy article to keep the reader entertained. These images often serve as tools to help the reader develop an idea of what a place or situation looks like when such a visualization is needed. There are always titles for new articles that give the reader a brief idea of what to expect from an article before jumping in, these titles often feature words or phrases that are designed to capture their attention and increase their chances of choosing to read the article. A short introduction is also often present to give the reader background information about the topic to be discussed later on. Structurally, these news articles are broken into two or three different columns on a single page, making it easier on the eyes when reading a long article and contributing to the look of a newspaper/magazine. Many of the articles present in The Economist revolve around providing factual information about global events without having a heavy bias towards liberal or conservative values. For the most part, persuasive techniques are absent within these articles and rather they focus solely on explaining to the reader the economic and political implications that current issues have on the world.

Concept

The Economist is a newspaper magazine that is made of up news articles, focused on delivering information about current global events. Over the summer I have spent the majority of my reading time on articles in this publication. This has been useful to me as it has ensured that I have applied various skills in English over the summer despite not going to school. Other benefits have come about from this reading such as being informed about a few issues the world faces today and being able to formulate opinions surrounding such issues. By reading these articles I have also gained a better understanding of the literary/non-literary features present in news articles and how an author might employ different techniques to easily deliver information to a reader.

Language as a means of communication is ever-changing, constantly adapting to fit the needs of both people and cultures as they inevitably evolve over time. As the world changes and different people and cultures mix nuances and variety within languages grows and expands. With these new varieties in language comes a multitude of new opportunities to interact and connect with various peoples from differing cultures, each with their own unique response and outcome.

Code-switching is an immensely useful tool in enhancing the interactions and communication between people of different cultures, social classes, levels of education, and many more differences. More often than not, code-switching creates a connection between two people of different backgrounds, strengthening their bond by creating familiarity with the language they use. The act of code-switching can go a long way in making good first impressions in short-term relationships or improve longer lasting relationships.

Regardless of what language a person speaks, they will code-switch and adjust their language to fit the needs of the circumstances. How one code-switches in certain situations can say a lot about themselves as a person. A person who purposely speaks in a more formal register with superiors and in a less formal register with friends might be seen as more educated than a person who speaks in an informal register all the time and does not code-switch. Similarly, a person who always speaks in a formal register and does not code-switch to speak informally with friends may indicate that the language is not their mother-tongue, as they have had to “properly” learn the language and have not had real exposure to the language.

How a person speaks can reveal a lot about them and their language background. Depending on when and how a person code-switches will give an insight into their cultural background and relationship with the person they are talking to. The closeness between two individuals can be seen in how they speak to each other, usually, the more informal the language the closer the individuals as few proper words are needed to convey their meaning. A person’s code-switching in a cultural context will show their familiarity with the culture and perhaps reveal a little bit about their cultural background.

Language and code-switching serve as a gateway into the personal and cultural background of a person. Many things can be deduced by the way they use language and the nuances within their language use. Relationships between people are complemented and strengthened by language itself.