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Racism and dehumanisation in Heart of Darkness and its Italian translations: A reader response analysis

Mastropierro, Lorenzo; Conklin, Kathy

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Authors

Lorenzo Mastropierro

KATHY CONKLIN K.CONKLIN@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Psycholinguistics



Abstract

This article presents the results of a reader response study of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and two of its Italian translations. Specifically, data from an online questionnaire are used to test whether English and Italian readers respond differently to the potential racist implications of the fictional representation of the African natives. Whereas one translator removes completely all occurrences of nigger(s) and negro, the other adds additional uses of the slurs which are not present in the original. We explore with empirical methods whether these translational alterations have an effect on the readers’ perception of dehumanisation, discrimination and racism in the text, comparing responses to each translation with responses to the original. Our findings not only show evidence of significant differences in the responses between one translation and the original but also suggest that other linguistic and extra-linguistic factors could be influencing readers’ response. With this article, we aim to contribute to the under-researched application of reader response approaches to translation studies.

Citation

Mastropierro, L., & Conklin, K. (2019). Racism and dehumanisation in Heart of Darkness and its Italian translations: A reader response analysis. Language and Literature, 28(4), 309-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963947019884450

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 30, 2019
Online Publication Date Nov 7, 2019
Publication Date Nov 1, 2019
Deposit Date Feb 18, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Language and Literature
Print ISSN 0963-9470
Electronic ISSN 1461-7293
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 28
Issue 4
Pages 309-325
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0963947019884450
Keywords Linguistics and Language; Literature and Literary Theory; Language and Linguistics
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3984149
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963947019884450

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