Help with my deciding my thesis' subject required.

[TeddyBear666]

Fifth year, English philology, specialization - polish/english translation. I am fighting a losing battle with my dissertation. I have chosen a relatively ambitious topic, and it is overbearing me. After some consideration, I decided what I need to do is shorten the topic so it becomes more manageable. Here is where I need help. Could we brainstorm together, guys, and come up with a topic for me? My original master's thesis was;

 

Comparative Analysis of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness original novel and its Polish translations.

 

My goal was to analyse the similiarities and differences between Conrad's original Heart and its two Polish translations; the oldest one, back from 30's, and the newest one from 2011. Whether a big or small task, it proves to be too large for me. How do you think, can we, sort of, "cut out" a large portion of that topic and make it into a thesis in its own rights? Here is the list of content that were supposed to make my paper, perhaps it will help:

 

1. Introduction
2.The idea of translation,
2.1 The meaning of translation and the idea of translation studies,
2.2 Different methods/theories of translation,
2.2 The role of the translator,
3. Location of the texts within the sociocultural context,
3.1 Sociocultural context of the source text ,
3.1.1. Origin of the novel and Condrad's life,
3.1.2 Reception of the novel by the readers in different time periods,
3.1.3 Interpretations of the heart of the darkness,
3.2 Sociocultural context of the target texts,
3.2.1 Zagórska's traslation,
3.2.2 Zagórska's life and relation with the author of the novel,
3.2.3 Zagórska's style of translation and reception of her translation of the novel,
3.3 Heydel's translation,
3.3.1 Heydel's life and relation with the author of the novel,
3.2.3 Heydel's style of translation and reception of her translation of the novel,
4. Analysis of the chosen translation methods in two translations of the heart of the darkness,
4.1
4.2
...
5. Comparison of translations and understanding of the themes/ symbols/ metaphors/cotrasts included in the novel,
6. Conclusion.

[rising_star]

Why not choose just one or two translation to focus on? If you did that, you could choose the two that have the most contrast with the original, frame them in the appropriate historical/literary context, and go from there.

 

Or, you know, talk to your advisor!

[TeddyBear666]

Why not choose just one or two translation to focus on? If you did that, you could choose the two that have the most contrast with the original, frame them in the appropriate historical/literary context, and go from there.

 

I'm sorry, but that was my original idea. Heart of Darkness original and its two Polish translations, from 30's and 2011. Perhaps if I concentrated on one translation, as you also suggested...

[rising_star]

Oh, then just pick one translation. Or, pick one or two key aspects of, scenes in, or metaphors in the novel and explain how they're handled in the original and in each of the two translations. You could, for example, focus on the how blackness or Africanness is conveyed in all three texts.

[TeddyBear666]

Interesting... I will let you know when I come up with the exact idea.