Pastiche is a literary term used in two ways: as an homage through imitation or as a mixture of imitative elements. It can be derogatory or complementary. The word comes from an Italian word meaning “medley.” Pastiche can be successful or a disaster, and it can be used to juxtapose characters and styles or illustrate universal themes. Popular culture is full of unintentional imitations, but a true pastiche involves a conscious decision to integrate elements of literary style from previously published works.
The literary term “pastiche” is used in two slightly different ways, and the concept can be found in other arts, not just literature, ranging from architecture to cinema. In the first sense, a pastiche is a form of homage that is accomplished through imitation. In the second definition, a pastiche is a mixture of elements of imitative origin. The term can be used in a derogatory or complementary way, depending on the work under discussion.
The word’s origins lie in an Italian word meaning “medley,” a reference to a type of pie or cake that’s made from a broad blend of items. The idea behind both forms of pastiche is that it integrates themes, ideas, concepts and characters that have already been seen and used before. These elements are integrated into a new work because the author finds them interesting, compelling, or useful; a pastiche is not a plagiarism or outright imitation, but a more complex literary concept.
In the first sense, a pastiche is often constructed as an homage or rebuke to a well-known author or genre. For example, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a playful version of Hamlet; The story of Edgar Sawtelle is another version of Hamlet that takes on a more serious tone. Authors may produce a pastiche that mimics another author’s style, borrows characters used by an author, or plays with an entire genre in literature. The numerous novels featuring the famous detective Sherlock Holmes written long after the death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are pastiches, for example.
In the sense of a medley, a pastiche can sometimes be successful and sometimes be a total disaster. Some authors are very skilled at interweaving many themes and concepts to create a rich and complex work, while others create a hodgepodge of elements that seem incongruous and don’t work together. This kind of literary pastiche can be used to juxtapose characters and styles, or to illustrate the universality of themes; to borrow from Hamlet, for example, an author might opt to create an Old Western-style retelling of the story set in space, integrating three very different thematic elements.
Popular culture is full of imitations, sometimes completely unintentional. Some themes have been used so many times that authors use them subconsciously, blissfully unaware of their origins. A true pastiche, however, involves a conscious decision to integrate elements of literary style from previously published works.
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