Intertexts and Influence: A Comprehensive Table of Intertexts in Philip Roth’s Fiction, 1952–2010

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Many scholars have contemplated the literary influences that shaped the fictional creation of Philip Roth. The endeavor to identify such influences is a complex task that may be approached in a variety of ways. As one way — but certainly not the only way — of engaging the problem, this contribution presents a quantitative tool entitled “Intertexts and Influence: A Comprehensive Table of Intertexts in Philip Roth’s Fiction, 1952–2010.” Using Roth’s 53 novels, novellas, and short stories as a database, the table measures every literary 1) author, 2) title of work, 3) character, and 4) passage/verse invoked in his oeuvre. The findings are geared toward identifying which figures Roth cited most frequently and in which of his own works he intensified his rate of intertextual invocation. At the very least, this research tool will help scholars quickly identify when and where Roth cited other writers. At best, it will facilitate the inquiries of those studying Rothian intertextuality — a quality of his fiction that must be recognized as a defining component of his aesthetic.