Influences, Intertextualities, Genres: History of Naturalism and Concepts of Comparative Literature

Abstract

"In this essay, I take up the challenge of comparative literature from a Finnish perspective and...discuss the notions of influence, intertextuality, and genres as methodological concepts of comparative literature. By exploring the relationships between French and Finnish naturalist novels, I suggest that genre study may advance the work of comparing distant literary traditions, helping us not only to cross national borders between centre and periphery, but also to bring new insights into the set of methodological problems included in the traditional study of influences and reception."