Archipelagic intertextuality and plural universality

A cross-reading of Salim Bachi, Amélie Nothomb and Dai Sijie

Abstract

This article explores the subversive, creative, and metaliterary dimensions of intertextuality as a vector of cultural hybridization and the construction of a plural and dialogical universality in the novels Le Chien d'Ulysse by Salim Bachi, Barbe bleue by Amélie Nothomb, and Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise by Dai Sijie. The analysis reveals that intertextuality, through the transposition of myths, the subversion of tales, and the celebration of the emancipatory power of literature, becomes an instrument for challenging dominant discourses and power relationships. Moreover, by bringing multiple traditions and imaginations into dialogue, it creates spaces of hybridization and creolization, paving the way for a new conception of the universal. This universality draws on the diversity of experiences and is constructed as a dynamic and constantly renewed process, making literature a common good of humanity.