Surely, context is relevant. In a culture that values the appropriation and reworking of previous texts, doing so is expected and not reviled. Our current culture tends to put the focus on what is different from the previous works, not on what is adapted from them, so appropriation of texts is considered a bad thing, except in a few limited areas (such as musical "sampling" of songs). When everyone knows the original that is being borrowed from, to borrow from it is an allusion. When no one knows the source material, taking it looks like stealing.
Susan
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