Self-translation, rewriting and translation as textual means of transferring literary thought

Abstract

The present study offers a reflection on the work Dejiny, pamäť a osobný príbeh v súčasnej francúzskej próze (2024, History, Memory and Personal Narrative in Contemporary French Prose) by Silvia Rybárová focusing on the one hand on the object of literary study carried out by the author on the materials of contemporary French literature, and on the transfer of concepts and categories of French literary criticism in a situation of cultural asymmetry on the other. First, an overview is given of the research carried out on the question of the forms and functioning of personal and collective memory inliterary texts that thematise the relationship between history and personal narrative in the context of historical events, particularly during the Second World War and the Holocaust period. The discussion then moves on to highlight the transfer of theories and categories of French literary criticism in particular, on which the author draws and through which she reflects on the issue. The final part of the study consists of an evaluation of the modes and effectiveness of transfer in asymmetrical contexts and traditions of literary thought.