A Utopia of Stories: An Intertextual Analysis of Iain Pears' Arcadia

Abstract

Even though Arcadia by Iain Pears is standing in our bookshops for almost three years, the following thesis is the first one to address this intricate novel. Arcadia, published in 2015, embodies a large amount of allusions to other literary works, multiple genres and numerous memorable stories. It is the perfect case study to discuss the manifestation of intertextuality and its effectiveness within an intertextual text. This thesis analyses the relations based on Paul Claes’ contribution to the term intertextuality as stated in his work Echo’s Echo’s: De Kunst van de Allusie. The analysis of Arcadia provides insight into the working of its constructive- and deconstructive allusions and analyses the way the allusions invite the reader to interpret and reflect on four layers: the utopia within Arcadia (Anterworld), the novel Arcadia, Arcadia’s dystopian world and the perception of our own world. By matching the allusions to four universal subjects, the analysis leads to a more in-dept interpretation of the novel. Namely, the references not only broaden the literary scope of interpreting Arcadia, but provide clarification by way of exclusion. Ranging from dystopian references to references about Tolkien and Lewis’s work, the allusions help understand Arcadia and its characters. This thesis honours the richness of Arcadia by addressing and exploring the intertextual dimension and elaborates on how the novel can be interpreted when a reader is aware of the allusions to other literary works.