Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper examines the Turkish translations of two selected short stories from William Saroyan’s My Name is Aram, paying special attention to the strategies used by translators in the transfer of details describing the daily lives of Armenian migrants in the US and their affective connections to their ancestral home. Through textual and paratextual analysis, and situating the translations in their socio-political contexts, the paper foregrounds the potential of (re)translated literature as a site for observing the changing politics of memory in a receiving culture. It concludes that, while earlier translators aligned themselves with the dominant politics of ‘silence and denial’, weakening the longings of Armenian characters for their ‘old country’, recent translators have been more meticulous about details related to the Armenian identity of characters. They reinstate the memories and yearnings erased in earlier translations, thereby contributing to newly emerging bottom-up energies challenging the official discourse and offering new channels of discussion.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call