Bricolage and Allusion: Literary and Cultural Techniques

The Concept of Bricolage

The term bricolage was created in 1962 by Claude Lévi-Strauss to designate the style used in ancient tribal rituals where they made use of disparate elements that, joined together, have a meaning and evoke magical feelings. Nowadays, we name 'bricolage' a type of collage which reveals the attractiveness of pop culture. It consists of rearranging and juxtaposing previously unconnected objects to produce new meaning. This involves an inner process of re-signification, in which cultures change the original meanings of these objects in order to adapt them into new codes.

It is important to make clear that 'bricolage' is not 'collage,' as the latter consists of sticking together disconnected elements without any inherent form; also, it is mostly used in pictorial art, where the artist can create strange effects. Actually, pastiche is indeed a type of 'bricolage' which refers to a mixture of elements so as to imitate another work's style. It is a widely used technique in Post-Modernism. However, parody is very similar to it, but in this case, its main purpose is to make fun.

Bricolage in Art and Literature

We can see 'bricolage' in art, in social culture, and in literature. We find two prominent examples:

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: The creature is a bricolage itself, as it is made of a mixture of human bones and parts of other species.
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: In one chapter, the protagonist describes the Château Wemmick, letting us know that it is built of local materials.

The Function of Allusion

An allusion is a reference to a work already completed by other authors. For example, in the poem 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe, we find mythological words in the first verses, and in line 47, the raven is found perched on a bust of Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

While other references try to create a relation by using a direct mention, allusions are more often supposed to be known and are not explicitly mentioned. There are different types of allusion:

Common Types of Allusion

• Biblical: A statement that refers to the Bible without mentioning it directly.
• Historical: A statement that refers to history without mentioning it directly.
• Cultural: An association that most people within a culture recognize.
• Literary: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, or idea of a literary nature.

These are often just passing comments, in which the reader must possess enough knowledge to spot them. The author uses allusions to finish his work quickly and because of the little time available. Also, it helps the reader to create an immediate idea of the concept, but it could lead to misunderstanding if the reader does not catch the main ideas.