A Comparative Study of K. R. Meera’s Yudasinte Suvisesham and The Gospel of Yudas

Abstract

Purpose: Rendered into multiple languages, K. R. Meera’s novels have a wide reach among global readers of feminist texts. Translated into English by Rajesh Rajamohan from Malayalam, the text, The Gospel of Yudas, in translation has the proportionate amount of ingredients that K. R. Meera mixed, to retain its spicy flavour.  The purpose of this research paper is to highlight how reflective is the translation of her novel, The Gospel of Yudas is, perhaps driving the same sense of emotion into the readers. As nothing much is said about the text as a translation, this paper would concentrate more on its translatory aspects. Translation demands an active involvement from the translator in order to retain its originality. When the target language is English, which is not the mother tongue of the translator, in most cases, translations are tend to lose their charm. This paper studies the text, not as an adaptation, but as a recreation and hence it’s difficult to draw the line that segregates the original and the translation. This research paper considers the translated text, The Gospel of Yudas, as a medium through which the hard politics with abstractions about human lives is let known to the world of linguistic vitalities. The paper also considers the loss of meaning after a comparative reading of the two texts.

Design: Peer-reviewed journals, national and international publications, and other secondary sources were used to gather material for the article. The research gap is identified using online resources and research databases like Google Scholar, Research Gate, SSRN, Elsevier, Academia, and Shodhganga. Using ABCD analysis, the main points of the study are highlighted. For the suggested research, information is gathered from academic publications, doctorate theses, scholarly articles, and websites. The paper focuses on the terms ‘reflective translation,’ ‘Indian translation,’ ‘history of Malayalam literature,’ ‘culture,’ ‘comparative study of The Gospel of Yudas,’ and ‘Yudasinte Suvisesham’, and hence, analysing, interpreting the source text and the translated text. The methodology will make use of textual analysis and comparison. There will be a close reading of a few of the feminist writers, followed by discussions on relevant topics. Additionally, submitting research articles and attending related conferences would give further enhancement to the study. In order to comply with its requirements, the APA Manual was followed ‘the thoughts conveyed by the source text, sometimes within the space, sometimes beyond. This research considers the source text ultimate though the articulation of both the texts takes a different mode. The target text is not simply an adaptation. There is the translator’s own space through which the rebirth of the source text takes place.

Originality: This research paper portrays the target text as the by-product of powerful construction of the source text. It’s truly original since it doesn’t follow word-to-word translation. Hence the research article proposes the concept put forward by some of the translation theories, that there should be enough room for a translator.

Paper Type:  Research Article