Intertextual references as an element of the author’s idiolect – based on the material of the short story W leju po bombie by Andrzej Sapkowski

Abstract

The article concerns the presence of intertextual elements in Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story entitled “W leju po bombie”. The author focuses on the place of these elements in the linguistic layer of the story and on their role in creating the linguistic image of the world created by Sapkowski. The concept of intertextuality, introduced by Julia Kristeva in the late 1960s, has been used not only in literary studies, but also in linguistics and translation studies. The research material was taken from the short story “W leju po bombie”, which is part of the collection of texts titled “Maladie i inne opowiadania” (2012). The author achieves the effect of intertextuality by weaving various elements into the linguistic layer of the work, such as: foreign language insertions, vulgarisms, elements of colloquial language, metaphors, language games, sophisticated comparisons, elements common language and intertextual references. The use of a wide range of references enriches the linguistic layer of the work and allows for the creation of a grotesque effect by combining them with vulgarisms, foreign language insertions, language games and elements of colloquial language. The author manages the language of the work in such a way that it is possible to combine unrelated historical events, high and colloquial style, references to literary texts and cultural elements within one statement or a small fragment of text.