Intertextuality is a complex and sometimes controversial art; a writer may attempt to preserve or change an original work’s theme, comment ironically upon it, or update it to accommodate changes in society. When the adaptation or appropriation is in a different
medium from the original, the artist has a whole new set of issues to consider. Compare Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (as referenced in the play) and Hwang’s M. Butterfly.
How does Hwang’s intertext refashion its source text to create new meaning?
