Explicit intertextuality effects on readers in Teresa Driscoll’s Her Perfect Family

Abstract

This study examines explicit intertextuality and its impact on the reader in Teresa Driscoll’s crime novel, Her Perfect Family, published in late 2021. Julia Kristeva’s theory of intertextuality stands as a significant milestone in postmodernist literature, positing that any new text is inevitably influenced or enriched by prior writings. British author Driscoll employs explicit intertextuality throughout the work, incorporating references to renowned English writers such as George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, D.H. Lawrence, Mary Shelley, and Lewis Carroll in various chapters. As a result, the reader perceives a connection between these authors and the chapters, contributing to the overall reading experience. It becomes evident that Driscoll, as a contemporary postmodernist novelist, draws from the themes and characters of these established literary figures to enhance the intricacies of her plot. By providing clues and insights relevant to the contemporary context, the author cleverly weaves explicit intertextual references into the narrative, engaging readers in a process akin to solving a puzzle, and creating connections. Moreover, Driscoll assumes the role of an instructor, posing critical questions about the aforementioned acclaimed authors, their works, and their characters. This approach makes the reader feel like a student, encouraging them to establish intertextual connections in Her Perfect Family and to understand the plot more easily.