A Comparative Study Of Intertextuality Practice Between China And The West

The Western intertextuality theory is one of the most heated topics in modern academic circles.It claims that any text can have conversation with other texts and there is no independent text.However,intertextuality is often regarded as a kind of rhetorical devices in ancient China which stands for “to understand a text by reference to each other”.In terms of such difference between Chinese and Western intertextuality theory,most scholars only view it as a coincidence.They believe that the two theories are of different nature despite sharing the same name and that there is no link between the two theories.Although some scholars do think there is link,they fail to go into details.This thesis aims to address the long-standing misunderstandings and confusion about the Chinese and Western intertextuality theories by sorting out core concepts.Since Chinese and Western intertextuality theories share the same expressions and connotations,many people find it hard to distinguish the two theories.In order to present a clearer picture of two theories,the author analyzes previous studies and summarizes the similarities and differences between the two theories as well as practices of Western intertextuality theory in Chinese literary criticism.This thesis is divided into four chapters.In the chapter one,by comparing the evolving process of Chinese and Western intertextuality theories from the perspectives of origin,change,broad and narrow senses,it can be concluded that the two theories are independent with no intersections in origin and development.Chapter two discusses differences between the two theories from the perspectives of reference object,research subject,research tendency and conceptual extension.In terms of reference object,Chinese intertextuality occurs at lexical and textual levels while the Western one at textual and cultural levels.In terms of research subject,Chinese intertextuality emphasizes “seeking similarities from differences” while the Western intertextuality focuses on “seeking differences from similarities”.In terms of research tendency,Chinese intertextuality is author-centered while the Western one is reader-centered.In terms of conceptual extension,Chinese intertextuality is explicit while Western intertextuality is diverse in meaning.Chapter three focuses on the overlap between Chinese and Western intertextuality practices.By separating intertextuality into “inter” and “text”,it is concluded that Chinese and Western intertextuality theories share similarities in interpretation,rhetorical function,cognitive mechanism and association mechanism: They are both interpreted based on the “interactions” of texts;They both apply rhetorical devices;They both apply cognitive mechanism of concept synthesis;They both apply association mechanisms to link texts.Chapter four reexamines Chinese literature from the perspective of Western intertextuality theory.It is found that many ancient Chinese literary practices coincide with Western intertextuality theory.The author discusses those common grounds from the perspective of words,theme,structure and genre.In conclusion,Chinese and Western intertextuality theories are two distinct theories with no academic connection.However,common grounds can be found on both "inter" and "text" levels.This is why the ancient Chinese term can be translated as "intertextuality".