Raw Tales : An Anthropology of Postcolonial Writers in Exile

Author

Caleb Sabatka

Date of Award

2020

First Advisor

Kathryn Boswell

Second Advisor

Daniel Giraldo-Wonders

Third Advisor

Mileta Roe

Abstract

This thesis is a work of anthropology that focuses on the specific population of writers from postcolonial nations who live in exile in the land of their former colonizers. I include an original literary translation of Cuentos Crudos , a collection of short stories by Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, as part of a larger conversation about the important work translation has in bringing awareness to the unfortunate circumstances which brought these writers to “seek refuge in the metropolis.” By focusing on the destabilization of postcolonial nations following their independence, the problem of postcolonial national identity in language and literature, the “writer as anthropologist,” and how literature and translation can be used as a powerful medium of resistance and activism against oppressive regimes, I hope to encourage readers and academics to read the work of writers before “speaking for” their subjects. In short, this thesis serves as a space to reflect on the importance of academic and literary works to effectuate change and encourage us all to become more interdisciplinary in our studies and use our voices to highlight the work of marginalized and vulnerable people.

Recommended Citation

Sabatka, Caleb, "Raw Tales : An Anthropology of Postcolonial Writers in Exile" (2020). Senior Theses. 1454.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/sr-theses/1454