RECLAIMING ERASED HISTORIES: INTERTEXTUALITY IN NATASHA TRETHEWEY’S ELEGY FOR THE NATIVE GUARDS
Keywords:
Postmodernism, Intertextuality, Textual analysisAbstract
This paper explores the poem Elegy for the Native Guards by Natasha Trethewey, from the perspective of postmodernism. Drawing on Julia Kristeva’s theory of intertextuality and employing Alan McKee’s textual analysis methodology, the study explores how Trethewey engages with historical, cultural, and literary references to interrogate selective historical memory and cultural erasure. The poem exemplifies postmodernist tendencies such as fragmentation, multiplicity, and skepticism of grand narratives, particularly those surrounding the Civil War. The analysis indicates that Elegy for the Native Guards disrupts the traditional historical narratives by reconstructing the silenced history of the forgotten.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Warda Fareed, Muattar Hayat (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
