AP English Literature and Composition Flashcards: Allusion and intertextuality
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What must a reader possess to understand an author's use of allusion?
A reader must possess the relevant prior knowledge of the person, place, event, or work being referenced to fully understand the allusion's intended meaning.
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What must a reader possess to understand an author's use of allusion?
A reader must possess the relevant prior knowledge of the person, place, event, or work being referenced to fully understand the allusion's intended meaning.
What is an allusion?
An allusion is a reference in a text to a person, event, place, or another work of art, which the author expects the reader to recognize.
What is intertextuality?
Intertextuality is the relationship between texts and the way that one text's meaning is shaped by other texts, through devices like allusion, quotation, or parody.
A politician warns that a new surveillance policy could create a 'Big Brother' society. What is the function of this allusion?
This alludes to George Orwell's novel *1984* to evoke feelings of totalitarian control and constant surveillance, framing the policy in a negative and cautionary light.
Why might an author choose to use intertextuality?
Authors use intertextuality to place their work within a broader literary or cultural conversation, adding depth and complexity that a single text could not achieve on its own.
How are allusion and intertextuality related?
Allusion is a specific type of intertextuality; it is one of the primary ways writers create connections between their text and other works.
How can allusions contribute to character development?
Allusions can provide a form of shorthand for characterization, quickly associating a character with the traits, conflicts, or fate of the referenced figure.
What is the primary function of making intertextual references in a literary work?
Intertextual references function to layer and enrich the meaning of a text by drawing on the reader's prior knowledge and associations with the referenced work.
How can intertextual references help establish a theme in a text?
By alluding to another work that explores a similar theme (e.g., betrayal, hubris), an author can reinforce and add complexity to that theme in their own text.
If a novel describes a character's new business venture as their 'white whale,' to what work is it alluding and what does it imply?
This alludes to Captain Ahab's obsessive hunt for the white whale in Herman Melville's *Moby Dick*, implying the character's venture is an all-consuming and possibly destructive obsession.