Gender Indeterminacy in English to French Translation: Case Study of Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues
Abstract
This essay explores how characters’ gender indeterminacy in English fiction texts can
be translated into French, and which translation choices are available to achieve its
preservation. The translation of Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues by Hystériques &
AssociéEs is made the focus of this essay, as the gendering in French of the main
character, Jess, is examined. By studying each gendered instance and the choices
made by the translating collective, multiple strategies were brought out, at different
levels of the text. The main strategy identified is one that alternates feminine or
masculine forms throughout the text, varying frequencies of each depending on the
narrative arc.
Degree
Student essay
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Date
2023-03-17Author
Grand-Clement, Caroline
Keywords
Leslie Feinberg; Stone Butch Blues; gender indeterminacy; English to French translation; queer literature; grammatical gender; gender agreement
Series/Report no.
SPL 2022-155
Language
eng