Retranslation - or the Modern Translation, a case study of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Details

Supervisors

Paul Arblaster

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en traduction, à finalité spécialisée: affaires internationales et européennes

Abstract

Literary translation is also characterised by retranslation. Why do we retranslate and why do dozens of retranslations exist in the same cultural space for one literary work? The aim of this thesis is to investigate the phenomenon of retranslation put under the light of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and find external or internal factors that justify the need to retranslate. Finding out why Frankenstein spent almost a hundred years in the shadows before getting popularised is also one of my objectives. I will thus take a look at Mary Shelley’s life considering her pen is a reflection of her life events. Its reception in the French literary market will also be analysed. Then, I will examine the critical debate surrounding retranslations and go into more details about the reasons to justify retranslate. Finally, I will apply that theoretical aspect on Frankenstein’s retranslations. Retranslations are mostly explained through their relation to prior translations and through marketing purposes. Moreover, one of the last two translations might be on their way to become canonical and stop for a while that phenomenon regarding Frankenstein.