THE INTERTEXTUAL USE OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY IN AGATHA CHRISTIE'S DETECTIVE FICTION
Vol.6, Issue 2, 2020, pp. 321-331 Full text
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.20.2.8
Web of Science: 000607561000009
Author:
Tatiana V. Ternopol https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3538-9493
Affiliation:
K.D. Ushinsky Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University, Yaroslavl, Russia
Abstract
This study investigates the intertextual use of Greek mythology in Agatha Christie's short stories Philomel Cottage, The Face of Helen, and The Oracle at Delphi, a short story collection The Labours of Hercules, and a novel, Nemesis. The results of this research based on the hermeneutical and comparative methods reveal that A. Christie's intertextual formula developed over time. In her early works, allusions were based on characters' appearances and functions as well as on the use of motifs and themes from Greek myths. Later on, she turned to using allusory character names; this would mislead her readers who thought they already knew the formula of her stories. Although not a postmodern writer, A. Christie enjoyed playing games of allusion with her readers. She wanted them not only to solve a case but also to discover and interpret the intertextual references.
Keywords: detective fiction, intertextuality, hypotext, allusion, intertext, Greek myths, Agatha Christie
Article history:
Submitted: 23 June 2020;
Reviewed: 30 June 2019;
Revised: 21 July 2020;
Accepted: 3 August 2020;
Published: 21 December 2020
Citation (APA):
Ternopol, T. V. (2020). The Intertextual Use of Greek Mythology in Agatha Christie's Detective Fiction. English Studies at NBU, 6(2), 321-331. https://doi.org/10.33919/esnbu.20.2.8
Copyright © 2020 Tatiana Vyacheslavovna Ternopol
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