This paper will deal with the intertextuality in Lloyd Jones’ novel “Mister Pip” and the intermediality in the movie adaptation “Mr. Pip” by Andrew Adamson. Both use Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations” as a reference.
The paper will analyse this intertextuality and intermediality in order to find out which function the reference to “Great Expectation” take up in both media. So it can be measured whether the occurrence of Dickens’ novel can be seen as a means of appropriation or writing-back.
Therefore, the terms of intertextuality, intermediality, appropriation and writing-back will be explained at first so they can be applied to first the novel “Mister Pip” and following the movie “Mr. Pip” afterwards. At the end it will be stated what function the intertextuality/intermediality takes up in novel and movie and if these are means of appropriation or writing-back.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Key Concepts
2.1. The Concepts of Intertextuality and Intermediality
2.2. The Concepts of Appropriation and Writing-back
3. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations in Papua New Guinea
3.1. Great Expectations as intertextual reference in Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip.
3.2. Great Expectations as intermedial reference in Andrew Adamson’s Mr. Pip.
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how Lloyd Jones' novel Mister Pip and Andrew Adamson's film adaptation Mr. Pip employ intertextual and intermedial references to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The primary objective is to determine whether these references function as tools for post-colonial appropriation or writing-back, exploring how the Dickensian narrative is transformed within a Pacific context.
- Intertextuality in the novel Mister Pip
- Intermediality in the film adaptation Mr. Pip
- Post-colonial concepts of appropriation and writing-back
- The role of the Western canon in remote cultural environments
- The performative nature of literature and its reception
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Great Expectations as intertextual reference in Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip.
By giving his novel the title Mister Pip Jones already plays with references to Great Expectations, whose narrator is named Pip. One could see the title already as an intertextual reference to the Victorian novel because “[o]n the shelves of a bookstore a title like Mister Pip would be most likely to attract the attention of a reader familiar with Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations” (Korkut-Nayki 43). It is the title that attracts the reader’s attention first and by hinting at Dickens’ novel in the title already, Jones plays with the significance of the Victorian novel. Therefore it can be argued that Jones uses the reference to Great Expectations in the title to attract a broader audience than a title with reference to the Pacific context and the political situation in Bougainville would have attracted. Following in that Ashcroft’s definition of appropriation.
Lloyd Jones introduces Dickens’ novel into his novel through the only white man left on the island of Bougainville, Mr. Watts. Mr. Watts chooses Great Expectations as a story to read for the children in school when he becomes their teacher. At the first day of school he reads the first chapter of the Victorian novel to his pupils and after that declares Great Expectations “[...] the greatest novel by the greatest English writer of the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens” (Jones 18). By that he seems to introduce a western vision of the literary canon and the reader might get the impression that in Mister Pip Dickens’ novel is unquestioned and that the children would adopt the western view on Great Expectations. This, however, is not the case.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core subject of the work, specifically the utilization of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations within the novel and film adaptation of Mister Pip, while outlining the methodology and research goal.
2. The Key Concepts: This chapter provides the theoretical framework by defining essential terms such as intertextuality, intermediality, appropriation, and writing-back within a post-colonial context.
3. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations in Papua New Guinea: This main analysis chapter examines how the Dickensian narrative is used as an intertextual and intermedial reference, evaluating its function as a tool for appropriation or criticism of the Western canon.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that the works function as a form of appropriation and hybridisation rather than writing-back, and highlights the potential for misunderstanding canonical texts in non-Western environments.
Keywords
Intertextuality, Intermediality, Mister Pip, Great Expectations, Lloyd Jones, Andrew Adamson, Post-colonialism, Appropriation, Writing-back, Counter-discourse, Cultural Identity, Canon, Hybridisation, Pacific Literature, Adaptation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the functions of intertextual and intermedial references to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations in both the novel Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones and its film adaptation by Andrew Adamson.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The central themes include the interaction between different media, the role of post-colonial appropriation, the critique of the Western literary canon, and how narratives are adapted to new cultural contexts.
What is the research goal?
The aim is to determine if the use of Dickens’ novel constitutes an act of "writing-back" (counter-discourse) or a method of "appropriation," and to analyze how these references shape the narrative's meaning in a Pacific setting.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a comparative analytical approach, applying theoretical frameworks of intertextuality (Coyle, Moraru, Nünning) and post-colonial theory (Ashcroft) to textual and cinematic source material.
What does the main part cover?
The main part analyzes specific instances of how Great Expectations is introduced and utilized in both media, focusing on character identification, the "escape" function for the children, and the fatal consequences resulting from cross-cultural misunderstandings.
Which terms characterize this research?
Key terms include intertextuality, intermediality, appropriation, hybridisation, and post-colonial counter-discourse.
How does the setting in Bougainville affect the reception of the Dickensian text?
The setting acts as a "foreign" context where the canonical text lacks the cultural conventions it was written for, leading to misinterpretations by the "Redskins" and highlighting the limits of the Western canon’s universality.
Does the film adaptation differ significantly from the novel regarding these themes?
While the film preserves the core themes of appropriation and criticism, it simplifies some intertextual complexity due to the change in medium, but introduces new layers, such as Matilda’s personal blame towards the novel for her suffering.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding "writing-back"?
The author concludes that these works do not function as counter-discourse or "writing-back," but rather as a means of hybridising and appropriating a canonical text to create a contemporary story that balances both the Dickensian and the local Pacific context.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2018, Forms and Functions of Intertextuality in Llyod Jones' "Mister Pip" and Intermediality in Andrew Adamson's "Mr. Pip", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/920323
