Self-Salvation, Structure, and Sex Part II: Intertextuality in Carmen Maria Machado’s “The Husband Stitch”
Candace Walsh examines how Jess Walter’s “Famous Actor” and Carmen Maria Machado’s “The Husband Stitch” use intertextuality—the inclusion of external stories, myths, and cultural references—not just as literary decoration but as a central structural and thematic device. Both stories use intertextuality as a structural tool, highlighting how women’s voices are shaped, limited, and often erased by the narratives imposed on them—especially in romantic and domestic contexts.