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Access Type

Campus Access

Document Type

thesis

Degree Program

Theater

Degree Type

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Year Degree Awarded

2009

Month Degree Awarded

May

Keywords

Maryse Conde, Caribbean literature, drama, theater, translation

Abstract

Having built her career and her reputation on her novels, Maryse Condé is not a familiar name in the theater. However, at the beginning of her career Condé was very involved with theater, and her first published works were plays: Dieu nous l’a donné… (1972) and Mort d’Oluwémi d’Ajumako (1973) preceded Condé’s first novel, Heremakhonon (1976). Though these plays do not get as much attention as do her more recent novels, they continue to have a lot to offer: they are highly dramatic, their themes remain relevant to the world today, and they are accessible for a modern audience. This M.F.A. thesis therefore presents the first English language translations of these two early plays of Condé’s, translated as God Gave Him to Us… and The Death of Oluwémi of Ajumako. The translations are preceded by an Introduction exploring the relevance of these plays for a modern audience, the influences that led Condé to craft these two dramas, and the challenges of the translation process.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/837173

First Advisor

Harley Erdman

COinS