In reading Thomas King’s novel Green Grass, Running Water we inevitably come across many references to biblical names and stories. Intertextuality is a major technique in the novel and especially the mythical stories are explicitly interwoven with hints to the Bible. The author deals with canonical texts as well as with Indian myths and, as we’re going to see later, also with historical events etc. He takes up names and parts of the pre-text and re-writes them. “It is essential to note, however, that these pre-texts are not opposed to each other as part of a binary structure. Rather they interact with one another and form something new each time they are told”1.
Besides the many direct and indirect references, there are also several correspondences between the structure of Green Grass, Running Water and the Bible, e.g. the four stories told by the four old Indians can be seen as a parallel to the four gospels in the New Testament2. In the following I am going to focus on explicit references in the four mythical stories that develop in the conversation of the trickster Coyote and a first person narrator.
The main part of this analysis is the comparison between the biblical pre-texts and King’s re-writing. As the actual parallels are very few there has to be some other idea behind these intertextual devices. It is probably more about history and hierarchy than about the pure pre-text.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- About the Topic
- Intertextuality
- Analysis of the Mythical Stories
- The Structure of the four Tales
- Comparison Pre- and Intertext
- Ahdamn and the Garden
- King's Noah and the Big Canoe full of Animals
- A. A. Gabriel and the Virgin Verification Form
- Young Man Walking On Water and the Fishing Boat
- Conclusion
- Relations vs. Rules
- The Underlying Issues
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper explores the intertextual references to biblical stories in Thomas King's novel Green Grass, Running Water. The paper examines the relationship between the biblical pre-texts and King's re-writings, highlighting how the author utilizes intertextuality to deconstruct traditional hierarchies and present a more nuanced perspective on history and culture.
- Intertextuality as a tool to deconstruct traditional hierarchies.
- The juxtaposition of biblical stories with Native American myths and contemporary narratives.
- The role of storytelling in shaping cultural understanding.
- The cyclical nature of history and the ongoing need for "fixing" the world.
- The interplay of humor and satire in challenging dominant narratives.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction of this paper sets the stage by outlining the topic and defining the concept of intertextuality. It introduces the novel Green Grass, Running Water and its rich tapestry of biblical references, interwoven with Native American myths and contemporary narratives.
The analysis of the mythical stories examines the structure of the four tales told by the trickster Coyote and a first-person narrator. This section delves into the interplay between the biblical pre-texts and King's re-writings, focusing on the comparison between the original stories and their re-interpretations.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms in this paper include intertextuality, biblical references, Native American myths, storytelling, history, cultural representation, and deconstruction of hierarchies. This paper explores the impact of intertextual relationships between biblical stories and contemporary Native North American narratives in Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water. The paper examines the complexities of cultural representation and the use of storytelling as a tool for challenging dominant narratives.
- Quote paper
- Martin D. C. Bruch (Author), 2004, Biblical References in Thomas King’s "Green Grass, Running Water", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/163282