Writing of Mythical Proportions: Myths and Intertextuality Revisited in Amélie Nothomb's Oeuvre

Abstract

The myth of Orpheus has been re-written several times by Amélie Nothomb,
Belgian author of the 20th and 21st centuries. Intertextuality as described by Julia
Kristeva involves re-writing based on readings by an author. Postmodern writing, largely based on intertextuality, gives us a better insight in the reasons for the socalled ‘theft'. Palimpsests (Genette, Derrida, Barthes) provide a model for the function of writing. The palimpsest foregrounds the fact that all writing takes place in the presence of other writings: “palimpsests subvert the concept of the author as the sole originary source of her work, and thus defer the \"meaning\" of a work down an endless chain of signification”. Dictionary definitions often include “something having diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface” when defining palimpsest.
In view of the foregoing, can Amelie Nothomb's writing then still be qualified as original and as genuine creative writing? From Hygiène de l'Assassin (1992) to Acide Sulfurique (2005) and Journal d'Hirondelle (2006), Nothomb's oeuvre has used myths to re-write her story. Autobiographical or auto fictional/factional, the main thrust of her writing lies in re-writing, be it of myths or other literary tools. In this article, an overview of the myths used by Amélie Nothomb, Belgian Francophone author, will be analyzed using the main components of her 15-year old literary career.

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5 2008: pp. 204-214