On The Intertextuality In Atwood's Lady Oracle

The term "intertextuality" was first coined by Julia Kristeva in 1967, based on Bakhtin's theory of "dialogism" and "polyphony", hi a narrow sense, it indicates that literature is created from literature. Every literary work is a matter of convention and a reworking of what is old. The theory is skillfully employed by Margaret Atwood in her writings. This thesis attempts to make a detailed analysis of Lady Oracle, her third published novel, from the approach of intertextuality, in order to outline its intertextual features and to expose Atwood's purpose of applying the theory to it.The thesis is made up of five chapters. Chapter One consists of a general introduction to Atwood's life and some earlier criticisms upon Atwood and this novel. Chapter Two focuses on the theory of "intertextuality" and its application to several of Atwood's novels, mainly to Lady Oracle. Chapter Three and Chapter Four are the backbone of the thesis, devoted to the specific analysis of intertextuality in this novel. Chapter Three deals with generic intertextuality, mainly from the perspective of intertextual references to Gothic fiction and fairy tale patterns revealed in this novel. The previous texts Atwood alludes to in this novel are Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Christian Han Anderson's "The Red Shoes" and "The Little Mermaid". The purpose of the analysis is to show Atwood's utilization and subversion of the traditional generic modes. Chapter Four turns to an intratextual study of the novel, chiefly examining the relationship between the frame text and the embedded texts. The embedded texts are the Gothic novel Stalked by Love and a poem "Lady Oracle" written by the protagonist. By probing into intratextuality within the text, this chapter tries to show Atwood's inventive reworking of the conventional literary modes for the same subversive purpose. Chapter Five is the conclusion, summarizing the main points of the whole thesis.