When thinking of the term
intertextuality, a million of different thoughts and ideas ran through my mind. I have seen so many movies and read enough literature to have had that deja vu, or in this case
deja lu feeling that would make literature seen in a different and more understandable light. I automatically thought of the connection between literary work's
Romeo and Juliet, and
West Side Story.
Romeo and Juliet is commonly known as this vigorous love story between a girl and a boy who's love is separated by their rivaling families. Juliet, on the Capulet side and Romeo, a Montague, are forced to have this famously known "forbidden love." In the play
West Side Story, there is almost the same exact set up, just much more modernly played out. The two rivaling families that we once knew in Romeo and Juliet become the Jets and the Sharks, two New York City rival gangs. When Tony, a former member of the Jets meets Maria, sister to Shark's leader Bernardo,
their love becomes very visible and unstoppable. They begin to meet in secret to keep their love strong and away from harm. In both plays, there is always that talk about that 'last straw' confrontational fight/battle as well. I read Romeo and Juliet in middle school and saw
West Side Story through theatre and through literary passages. I automatically related and thought of
Romeo and Juliet when reading/watching
West Side Story, which made it much more familiar and classic.
I believe that
West Side Story was purposely based off of
Romeo and Juliet and the intertextuality was supposed to be fairly clear. I think that they both illuminated one another and made thinking back on
Romeo and Juliet more interesting and enjoyable.
You mentioned that you felt the texts illuminated one another, but you never told us how or why. Why would the author want to create another Romeo and Juliet? What issues were being highlighted? Do these issues play into your understanding of Romeo and Juliet in some way?
ReplyDeleteI liked your use of links in your first paragraph, I was really able to understand what you were talking about when you mentions "deja lu."
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comment above, I would like to hear more examples on how each text illuminates the other. Also I think you should explain the "last straw" more I was not exactly sure what that meant.
Let me just start off by saying that West Side Story is one of my favorite movie musicals. I agree that West Side Story was most likely intentionally based on Romeo and Juliet. I don't quite remember where I read it but supposedly, West Side Story was originally about a Christian boy and Jewish girl sharing a forbidden love. Obviously, it ended up being a racial separation instead (American and Hispanic). West Side Story definitely would've lacked something without the very catchy musical number "America". The latter story definitely communicates with the original. There are very many obvious nods and strong connections between the two stories.
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