Language and identity in the literature of fiction. The translation of idiolect and its effects in literary characterisation in tess of the d’urbervilles’ male characters

Abstract

This paper focuses on the intrinsic relation between language and identity in literature. Characters in all fictional worlds have their own language and way of speaking. Their linguistic features shape their identity and characterisation and help the reader identify all characters in a literary work. Hence, this project aims at analysing the resulting identity of fictional characters with a focus on linguistic variation and the use of language. The study has two main objectives: To analyse the male characters’ speech and its evolution in the novel, and to analyse the extent to which their translation may have an impact on the characters’ literary identity. In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, this paper analyses the language of the main male characters of the Victorian novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891) and its translations into Spanish. The male characters seem to function as opposition to the characterisation of the novel’s main character, Tess Durbeyfield. In addition, they use a very distinct language, which will contrast with the rest of the characters. Thus, this paper aims at verifying whether this contrast as well as their distinguishable characterisations are maintained in the target texts. As will be seen, translating distinct language is essential in fictional characteri-sation as well as in the reception of foreign literature, in this case, English literature in the Spanish context.