Turning b(l)ack in translation: An analysis of To kill a mockingbird & O sol é para todos

Abstract

The specific context of my study, that of Harper Lee’s novel, is one of hardship and suffering: the deep south of U.S.A. during the Great Depression. Taking such context into account, my overall purpose is to reflect upon the (im)possibility of translating race. Analysing the original narrative and, at some points, its translation into Brazilian Portuguese, the specific purpose is to trigger a debate regarding the social aspects of racism, as well as the different narratives permeating it. Both historically and geographically, translation, through language, is a place for dialogism and mediation. The overall context of the analysis, thus, establishes a parallel between history, class, and race in the novel(s). Relying mainly on Frantz Fanon – Black skin, white masks –, among other names, the findings of my analysis of Lee’s novel and its translation into Brazilian Portuguese show how to think of race, history, and translation may come to be a necessary and fruitful step for an eventual emancipation of black people, objective and subjectively.