Intertextuality

INTERTEXTUALITY

Intertextuality is the shaping of a text by one or more texts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertextuality). This makes me think of the saying that "we are all a product of our times". I think that, not only does Diaz make frequent reference to fantasy lore--Dungeons and Dragons, Dr. Who, and many other texts--he references history as a text. A good amount of the admittedly opinionated footnotes are references to historical places or events. These historical stories shape the novel and the ways in which the characters interact with each other. The era of Trujillo, in many ways, traps the Dominican people into a cycle of machismo and violence. Ironically, Oscar de Leon chooses "the Genres" and intelligence that is often ridiculed. He becomes a product of a different aspect of the times through otakuness. The text also feeds back into itself as an intertext. The story of Oscar's mother, Belicia, and the fuku that follws them is a story within a story that contributes in its own way as well.