This thesis examines the role of Tokto/Dokdo in the creation and maintenance of South Korean nationalism, and the way in which Tokto narratives are created and disseminated in Korean society. It...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of Tokto/Dokdo in the creation and maintenance of South Korean nationalism, and the way in which Tokto narratives are created and disseminated in Korean society. It aims to answer the question: how is the Tokto/Takeshima conflict portrayed and communicated through South Korean Tokto-related children’s literature? Based on a critical discourse analysis of a selection of the most popular Tokto children’s literature, this thesis identifies a set pattern that characterizes Tokto children’s literature as a genre. Furthermore, this thesis challenges the modernist notion that nationalism is a top-down affair, as the analysis of Tokto children’s literature shows that nationalist sentiment stems from an interplay between governmental and civil efforts. In the case of Tokto children’s literature, that is the effort to promote and proclaim Tokto as a vital part of South Korean national identity. Lastly, this thesis argues that Tokto children’s literature reflects the agenda of Tokto activists, who seek to strengthen a particular notion of South Korean national identity that centres on the idea of Japan as continuous external threat.Show less
Even though the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, Dominicans generally do not feel very connected with their neighbouring country. For a large part, Dominican identity...Show moreEven though the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, Dominicans generally do not feel very connected with their neighbouring country. For a large part, Dominican identity even relies on “not being Haitian.” This is part of the national ideology of antihaitianismo or anti-Haitianism: the rejection of Haiti and "everything Haitian." This rejection is based on assumed differences between the Dominican Republic and Haiti in terms of race, religion, and culture. This thesis examines whether such an anti-Haitian ideology is taught to the next generation as well by analysing three contemporary Dominican children's books: Yina Guerrero’s ¿Palo Malo, Quién? [Bad Hair, Who?], José Rafael Lantigua’s Duarte Para Jóvenes [Duarte for the Youth], and César Sánchez Beras’ Al Este de Haiti [East of Haiti]. Working on theories on the dichotomy between "the Self" and "the Other," this thesis examines how the children's books construct a Dominican identity in relation to Haitian identity. Do the books reinforce antihaitianismo or can they form a basis for a new generation with less generalisation?Show less
This thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this...Show moreThis thesis discusses the peripheral position of children's literature in the literary polysystem and the consequences this position has on the translation of it. The hypothesis is that this position will lead translators of children's literature to use a more laissez-faire approach when translating. With the use of Antoine Berman's model of deforming tendencies, texts for adults and texts for children and their translations are compared to see whether more "negative" changes occur in children's literature, thus showing that children's literature is indeed situated in a peripheral position in the literary polysystem.Show less
According to Venuti, the translation strategy of domestication is the dominant strategy in Anglo-American translation culture. However, domestication also seems to be the dominant strategy in Dutch...Show moreAccording to Venuti, the translation strategy of domestication is the dominant strategy in Anglo-American translation culture. However, domestication also seems to be the dominant strategy in Dutch translations of children's literature. This article will first give an explanation of children's literature, then discuss both the foreignization and domestication strategy and lastly will outline a casestudy of different translations of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Koning van Katoren by Jan Terlouw.Show less
Despite the fact that China is well-known for its lengthy literary history, children’s literature is a relatively young concept which was only introduced in the 20th century – much later than in...Show moreDespite the fact that China is well-known for its lengthy literary history, children’s literature is a relatively young concept which was only introduced in the 20th century – much later than in most Western countries. However, in this short period of time, children’s literature has been able to flourish in China and has become an indispensable part of its enormous publishing market today. In this thesis, the current Chinese children’s literature market is explored in depth by not only looking at existing written sources, but also by conducting fieldwork in four bookstores in Beijing. This fieldwork can be divided into three separate categories, namely mapping of the bookstores, observing its products and costumers, and interviewing 42 Chinese parents. By analyzing how the Chinese children’s literature market as portrayed in written sources is reflected in these bookstores, this research has shown that the children’s literature market is indeed a booming business, but it has also shed light on other aspects of the market, such as the fact that there are still very serious problems that need to be solved in order to guarantee the ongoing success of children’s literature in China.Show less
