What does intertextuality refer to?

Intertextuality refers to the connections and references between different texts. This concept highlights how texts do not exist in a vacuum; instead, they are influenced by and interact with one another in numerous ways. These connections can manifest through direct references, quotes, or themes, allowing for richer understanding and interpretation of a text as readers recognize and engage with its relationships to other works.

In contrast, the first choice focuses on studying a single text in isolation, which misses the essence of intertextuality that emphasizes relationships between multiple works. The third choice discusses categorization by genre, which is relevant to literary analysis but does not capture the interconnectedness that intertextuality represents. Lastly, the fourth choice regarding chronological ordering in a curriculum is unrelated to the concept of intertextuality since it only concerns the sequencing of texts rather than their interrelations. Thus, the correct understanding of intertextuality as the interplay of different texts is effectively encapsulated in the chosen answer.